A Mission of the Heart
by ArianAngel95
Summary: It started as a simple mission but then turned into something more complicated. Then another mission comes up and Sakura is suddenly faced with a different set of complications. Where the first was a mission of the mind, the next was a mission of the heart. And that was exactly what was on the line: her heart. An eventual ItaSaku (some SasuSaku).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is a first but I figured that I would not develop as a writer unless I put something out there. I originally started this story as a Freshman and gradually added to it over my high school career (so yes I edited this as I wrote it to be posted). Please let me know what you think so, review.**

* * *

Chapter 1

" _No, Sasuke, don't leave," Sakura cried in the darkness at the silhouette that was standing before her. "Please don't leave."_

" _I'm leaving and you can't stop me," Sasuke replied evenly as he began to walk off._

" _Then take me with you or..." Sakura said through her tears. "Or I'll scream." Her voice rose at this last desperate attempt to convince the one that she loved to stay with her._

 _Sasuke suddenly disappeared before appearing behind Sakura. He stood there for a moment as a breeze blew past them and a cloud covered the moon, dimming the once bright night. "Thank you..." he whispered before he struck the back of Sakura's neck, sending her into unconsciousness._

" _Sasuke..." Sakura whispered as she fell to the ground. Sasuke caught his teammate before she could hit the ground, picked her up, and placed her on a near by bench before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away._

Thats the last memory that I have of Sasuke. My last memory of him was nearly four years ago, when I was thirteen. Since then, I've spent my time as Tsunade's apprentice; learning medical ninjutsu and becoming stronger. I refused to chase after Sasuke or Naruto, since the two of them had left the village; Sasuke for revenge and Naruto for training with Jiraiya. It felt like Team Seven had broken up back then. _I don't think we have ever been more distance from each other,_ I thought as I walked to Lady Tsunade's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter," Tsunade-shishou called from behind the door. Opening the door, I quickly scanned the room, even though I did not sense any chakra besides Tsunade's and Shizune's in the room. Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, with Shizune flanking Tsunade's right, and was glaring at a scroll that was no doubt a mission that needed to be assigned to someone. "What is it Sakura?" Tsunade asked with a sigh.

"I have a request, Tsunade-shishou," I stated respectfully as I stood before her desk.

Tsunade glanced up at me with narrowed gold-brown eyes. "What would that be?" She asked as she sat back in her chair, promptly ignoring the scroll that she had been glaring at seconds before.

I took a deep breath, unsure if she would take my request seriously. "I know that the chances are slim but I would like to go after Orochimaru and Sasuke," I said as my body tensed in preparation to dodge anything that she would throw at me.

"You WHAT?!" Tsunade shouted as she slammed her fist down onto her desk, causing the wood to groan as it tried to not break. _Shit,_ I thought as I cleared my face of emotions. "Explain yourself," Tsunade growled. "Now."

"I have been secretly using my ANBU contacts to track them," I stated plainly. "My contact in Otogakure No Sato sent word that Orochimaru is there once every six months for approximately one month. My contact also stated that Orochimaru just arrived in the village. I would like the chance to infiltrate Orochimaru's ranks, to have him train me alongside Sasuke, and gather information on his operations. I'll travel with him to learn where he has been hiding. I also believe that I may be able to kill Orochimaru and return with Sasuke before Orochimaru takes over Sasuke's body. Orochimaru is weak right now. This opportunity will not last long."

Tsunade was silent when I finished, her eyes glaring angrily at me from where she sat. Shizune looked at me with a worried look in her eyes but remained silent. I simply waited, my body still tense. "I have followed your request to keep your ANBU status quiet from your friends but a mission of this scale is something that not even ANBU take lightly. Not only would I be risking losing one of the most valuable shinobi in this village, but you know full well that if any of them caught wind of this, I would have to worry about them coming after you. I also have to factor in the risk of you defecting and joining Orochimaru, though I know that that chance is small, I must consider it."

I waited silently, waiting for Tsunade to make her decision. Though doubt and worry began to eat at my mind.

Finally, Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Very well," she said softly. "I will grant you this mission. I can see that you will not give this up and you have grown remarkably the past few years. I trust your judgment. You will leave tonight and report back every month so long as it does not risk your cover."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," I replied as I bowed respectfully.

"Dismissed," Tsunade ordered as she looked back at the scroll on her desk.

With a quick nod, I disappeared.

"Do you think that was wise, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked quietly.

Tsunade turned and looked out the windows that overlooked the village. The sun was bright, the sky a light blue, and people carried on about their day without a care in the world. "I am not sure," Tsunade replied. "But I do know Sakura. She will not do anything that is beyond her skills. Besides, we may finally find out where that snake has been hiding."

I sprinted through the trees, leaping from branch to branch faster than the eye could follow. The forest opened up before me and I paused on a branch with a silent thud. I crouched on the branch and steadied myself by placing my hand on the trunk. The Valley of the End laid before me. The deep gorge below me, the statues of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara framing a tall waterfall, and the sun setting in the distance, throwing everything into shades of gold, red, orange, and grays. With a final sigh, I leapt over the falls, crossing the border, as the sun sank below the horizon.

"Ugh, stupid rain," I muttered as I walked along the road. It had begun raining the night I crossed the border two days ago. After meeting my contact in Fuuma Alley, I worked my way north towards Orochimaru's last know location. That had been a day ago. Now, with the rain soaking me through, I was beginning to get irritated as my contact had said that the location would be easy to spot. Finally, a low structure began to appear through the heavy rain. _Finally,_ I thought as I walked towards the entrance of Otogakure No Sato. I slowly descended the steps as memories of a past mission filtered through my mind. Three years ago, at a similar compound, Orochimaru gave us the slip, avoiding capture. Shaking my head to clear it, I stepped into the darkness, hoping that my information was good.

* * *

"Ha ha ha," Someone laughed behind me. "Well, well, if it isn't Haruno Sakura. What has brought you here, my dear?"

I instantly recognized the voice, knowing that slight hissing undertone. Turning, I faced Orochimaru. I had reached a room that was vast enough that the walls couldn't be seen through the darkness. Tall pillars stretched upwards into yet more darkness and some candles were set on small shelves on every other pillar to give a dim glow in the room. I tensed as I saw a dark figure behind Orochimaru. I couldn't sense the person's chakra, so their identity was masked until they slowly opened their eyes to reveal the blood red and black design of the sharingan. Uchiha Sasuke. A small part of me was relieved that he was still alive. "Orochimaru," I stated coolly. "It seems that you haven't change at all. I can not say the same for you Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in irritation. "What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"I decided to leave the village," I answered nonchalantly with a shrug.

"What for, dear?" Orochimaru asked curiously, his head tilting slightly to the side.

"I have been training under Tsunade and realized that I couldn't learn anymore from her or the village." A smile began to form on Orochimaru's face. "So I decided to come here hoping that you could teach me more that would be beneficial," I stated neatly.

"Well I am not going to simply take you in. I have not seen what you are capable of. How will I know that you show promise like Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru asked chillingly. "Hmm, Sasuke spar with her."

Sasuke glared at the back of Orochimaru's head, his anger and irritation rolling off of him in waves that filled the room.

"Orochimaru-sama," I interjected with a small bow. "If it pleases you, I would ask to rest so that I may more accurately display to you my skills. I have not rested since I left Konoha and have been avoiding ANBU for three days."

Orochimaru smiled at the thought of a full display of skills. "That would please me, dear. Kabuto, why don't you show her where she can stay for the time being."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied as he appeared behind Orochimaru. Sasuke remained silent though his anger continued to roll off him. "Follow me, Sakura-san," he stated as he turned and walked away.

I politely bowed to Orochimaru and briefly glanced at Sasuke as I followed Kabuto out of the room and down a dim hallway.

"So you are joining us?" Kabuto asked conversationally.

"If Orochimaru-sama will take me," I stated calmly, not too worried about the spar tomorrow.

"I don't think that Orochimaru-sama will send you away."

I looked at him curiously. "Why do you say that?" I inquired as we turned a corner and continued down another hall.

"Simply for new blood. Sasuke has only had me to spar with and we know each others skills and styles too well. Now you show up and have left the village. He thinks that possibly with some training, you may provide a new challenge for Sasuke."

"Hmm. The reason does not matter to me. I simply need to learn more."

"Why did you choose Orochimaru?" Kabuto asked.

I laughed casually, gaining a curious look from him. "First, he is one of the Legendary Sannin. I have trained under one of them so only another will be able to provide more training that is beneficial. Second, I truly doubt that there is anyone that could handle my training."

"I don't understand," Kabuto stated. "You trained under Tsunade. So how can no one but Orochimaru-sama handle your training?"

"I did well under Tsunade but I learned faster than she expected and surpassed her. I began to train on my own, but we would spar every now and then to check my progress. A few times we sparred, neither of us walked away from, literally."

"You mean that neither of you could walk afterwords?" Kabuto asked in astonishment.

"At first yes," I stated. "But as I began to surpass her, the dynamic changed. The last time that we sparred, I nearly killed her with one blow." I smiled at the memory. Tsunade and I spent the first 5 minutes staring at each other, sizing each other up. Then in a blinding fast movement and a light tap to Tsunade's chest, Tsunade fell to the ground barely able to breathe. The jutsu was based off medical ninjutsu and the Hyuuga's gentle fist technique. With a deadly push of chakra, just enough to stop the heart and isolate the lungs, the jutsu stopped the heart and prevented oxygen from getting into the blood stream from the lungs. All done with the gentle movement similar to the Hyuuga's gentle fist technique. I immediately healed Tsunade but that was the end of our sparring.

"Interesting," Kabuto murmured, pulling me from the memory. He began studying me, as if I had just handed him a beautiful challenge that he was determined to crack. A few minutes later, we stopped before a plain wooden door. "This is where you will be staying. My room is down the hall if you have any questions."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said, walking into the room and closing the door behind me. The room was nice, about fifteen feet by fifteen feet in size. To the left of the door was a door that opened to the bathroom and to the right was a walk in closet. A bed laid in the back left corner with a night stand beside it and a desk was in the opposite corner. I decided to move the desk into the closet because I didn't need it or the extra space in the closet. With a sigh, I decided to take a shower and go to bed. As I laid in the bed, I wondered what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Everything was quiet. The woods were quiet and still. There was a thick mist covering the forest floor, wrapping around the trees and the dark figure in the distance. Sasuke. He stood about half a foot taller than my five foot seven frame, his hair in the same style that it had been when he left the village, and his onyx eyes gazed at my with appreciation and care. He looked at me and said something that I couldn't hear. He smiled at my puzzled look and slowly walked forward with love in his eyes. While he was walking, a dark snake rose up behind him and bit him in the neck. Sasuke screamed and fell to the forest floor, disappearing into the mist.

I woke up with a start. It was midnight according to the clock on the night stand. With a sigh, I stood and began to get dressed, knowing that I wouldn't get to sleep again. I felt the need to see the sky, the moon, and the stars. Making my way through the compound, I silently ghosted down the halls, my chakra masked and hidden from others. Once I was outside, I broke into a run and leapt into the trees. I jumped from branch to branch, higher and higher into the trees. I stopped at the top of a tall tree and looked up at the full moon. It was bright against the deep, dark blue of the night sky and the stars twinkled in the background.

"What are you doing out here this late?" a voice asked as his chakra briefly flared to announce his presence.

"I wanted to see the sky," I answered as I continued looking up at the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that he stood a tree over. Sasuke's onyx eyes sparkled with life as he looked at me. When he was around Orochimaru, he didn't allow any sign of life to be seen in his eyes, keeping them dull and cold. I had been with them for about a week. When Sasuke and I sparred, we both drove each other to the brink of death, forcing Kabuto to work overtime to bring us back and giving Orochimaru a reason to keep me around. Since then, we had avoided each other as much as we could. This was the first time that we had spoken to each other. With a quick glance, I saw that he was checking me out from head to foot. "What?" I asked, a little bit of irritation slipping into my tone.

"Nothing," he replied. "Its just... you look more... relaxed... and natural here. Around Orochimaru-sama, you are tense and anxious. Its sort of nice to see you like this, like how you used to be."

"Its nice to see you like this too," I stated with a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You look more like you did back then; relaxed, calm, natural. Around Orochimaru, you look like a snake's next meal."

"I sort of am," he laughed dryly. With a quick movement, he leapt from his tree to mine. I could feel the heat of his body sinking into my skin because he was standing so close to me.

"I suppose you are," I smiled. "Your eyes are lighter as well. There is life in them that you don't allow others to see."

"Its easier to have them without life around him. Your eyes do the same thing."

"Hmm" was all that I could say in response. I knew that it was true. To show that you care about something or someone around people like Orochimaru, was to give them a foothold on how to break you. It was a startling realization that I learned during the interrogation portion of my ANBU training, one that I brutally paid for with blood and tears. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me from my thoughts as he pulled me against him. I leaned my head back against his chest as he sighed.

"It is nice to see you," he said quietly, his words gently blowing over my ear.

"It is nice to see you too."

He was quiet for a moment before speaking. "Sakura," he said quietly in my ear, pulling my thoughts from the sky. I glanced back at him. "I am not sure but I know that I do care about you. I don't know what this feeling is because I locked all of my feelings up when I left. But when we sparred... It all came out."

"Sasuke," I whispered. "I care a lot about you; I always have. That is the reason that I came here. I needed to get away from the village but I also wanted to see you. Maybe one day, I can go back and maybe you can go with me. But I doubt that that is possible."

"Why do you think that ?"

"I have lived without you. I have seen that life and I didn't like it much. Naruto left after you did. No one was there and I couldn't keep up with you two. That is why I trained so hard, so that one day I could keep up with you two. But now that I have found you, I don't think that I can go back to that life."

"Good," he said, it sounded like he was smiling. "I am not going to let you leave without me. I won't let you go back to that life. You don't deserve that life. I really do like you, Sakura."

I turned to look at him. His eyes sparkled and glimmered with an emotion that looked like love but I wasn't going to bank on that. I slowly lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck, hugging him softly and gently. Surprisingly, he hugged me back. His chest was strong, his heartbeat steady.

"Sakura," he said softly, pulling back to look into my eyes. He slowly leaned down and rested his forehead against mine, his breathe flowing over my face like a soothing breeze. With a little bit of hesitation, he gently brushed his lips against mine. When I didn't pull away, he kissed me with more pressure, making me melt against him. The longer we kissed, the more I leaned against him, and before long; he was kissing me with passion and demand. One of his hands slowly slid along my side, going from my waist to tangle in my hair, while his other arm wrapped completely around my waist, pulling me against him. With a sigh, I laced my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled me completely against his body, molding us together from chest to thigh, as I melted into him. He started to pull back and I threw myself against him, upsetting our balance on the tree top. Suddenly, we were falling, the cool night air blowing past us. Pulling back, he took a deep breath. "Hold on tight," he said in a roughened voice.

"Don't worry," I replied as I tightened my arms around him. "I don't think I will ever let go."

He laughed and reached out to grab a branch as we fell past it. Swinging us in an arch, we landed on a sturdy branch. Looking at me with eager and loving eyes, he backed me up against the trunk of the tree and continued our kiss as if it as never been interrupted. I don't know how long we kissed. I tried to keep my thoughts clear. I sighed, knowing that this mission had taken a turn that I hadn't expected. With an internal growl, I knew that this mission has turned into the worst kind of mission, a seduction mission. I knew that I would have to do whatever it took to gather information and, hopefully, get Sasuke back to Konoha. Even if that meant making him think that I still loved him. Finally, he pulled back with a sigh. "I think that we should get back before Orochimaru notices that we are gone," he murmured as he tried to catch his breath.

"Really?" I said with a pout. "But I don't want to go. This is too nice."

"I know," he laughed. "But think about what would happen if Orochimaru woke up and both of us were missing. I don't know about you but I don't want to think about the consequences."

I shuttered at the possible picture he painted in my mind. Orochimaru would be beyond angry and that anger would be dealt out on our bodies. "I agree but do we have to go back to not speaking to each other?" I asked.

"I think that it is a good idea to do that so that Orochimaru doesn't suspect anything. But there is the benefit that our rooms are next to each other," he replied with a smile.

"Fine," I sighed. "I guess that is enough to get me though the day."

He laughed. "Lets go." He ran towards the compound, with my hand clasped tightly within his. We eventually reached the compound and walked into the darkness. With our chakra masked, he lead me down the halls and stopped before my door. "Good night, Sakura," he said before leaning in to kiss me. With a smile when he pulled back, he walked to his room and disappeared inside.

I sighed and entered my room, sealing the room to intruders before laying down on my bed despite knowing that I wouldn't get to sleep. I tried to figure out how to get through this mission. I had done seduction missions before, everyone in ANBU has at some point. It was true that I loved Sasuke in the past but after he left and shattered my heart, I had picked up the pieces and risen from the ashes. I realized that I only cared for Sasuke like I cared for Naruto, like he was a brother. Once I had gotten over him, I rose through the ranks in the village under Tsunade's guidance. With a sigh, I decided that I would simply keep my goal in mind and take one day at a time. Rolling over, I pulled the covers over me and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

I woke up with a start at the sound of someone knocking on my door. Wondering who it was, I growled and sat up, stretching.

"Sakura-san," the voice said pleasantly. "I suggest you wake up if you want any food this morning."

It wasn't Sasuke, but Kabuto instead. I groaned quietly. After laying in bed for hours I finally fell asleep around dawn. Now, I was behind and Kabuto was the first person that I had to deal with. "I'll be out in a minute," I called as I got out of bed and dressed, my stomach reminding that I hadn't eaten in hours. A few minutes later, I made my way down the hall and into the dinning room. Walking into the room, I walked up to the server and got my breakfast before walking to my seat in the corner, which was as far from Orochimaru as possible. Sasuke and Kabuto sat with Orochimaru towards the front of the room and I could feel the sharingan follow me as I moved around the room. I met his gaze, without fear of falling into a genjutsu, and nodded a good morning. He returned the nod and returned to ignoring me.

After breakfast, I went to the training hall to train alone. Orochimaru wouldn't ban anyone from the hall until noon when he personally trained Sasuke. Making the most of my time, I practiced my combative skills and aerobics. I worked through my katas and then worked on a little bit of tumbling that I used defensively. Once I was done with that, I began working on a few of my newer jutsu, going through them piece by piece so that no one would notice that they were S-rank jutsu. Finally, I sat down and decided to meditate, clearing my mind and briefly touching base with the ANBU HQ so that they would report that I was still alive to Tsunade. As my mind quieted, quiet voices began to filter through my head but fell silent when I growled quietly at them. Finally, I reached a state similar to the meditation that Sages use.

"My dear," Orochimaru called as he walked into the training hall, pulling me from my meditation. "I would ask that you leave so that I can train with Sasuke-kun."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," I replied as I stood and walked from the room. Once the doors closed behind me, I ran to my room and locked the door. Laying on my bed I preformed a jutsu that allowed my mind to separate and function without my body. I usually used this technique on surveillance missions with a partner to guard my body but I needed to know what Orochimaru was teaching Sasuke. With the hand seals completed, I felt my mind separate from my body and I looked down at it. It looked like I was sleeping. With a shake of my head, I walked through the door, down the hall, and into the training hall.

Sasuke was practicing with his kusanagi and applying chidori to it. The way that he worked with the kusanagi reminded me of the way that ANBU train and carry a katana. I reminded myself that I need to get two the next time that I was allowed into the town. Before leaving on this mission, I had begun working on a style using two katanas and needed to work on it. Eventually he shifted to working out some jutsu that looked to be A-ranked. I watched as he performed the jutsu until Orochimaru was satisfied with the result. Finally, Orochimaru called for him to practice with Kabuto. I nearly laughed when Sasuke nearly chopped off Kabuto's arm. _That's what you get, smug bastard_ , I thought to myself. After that Orochimaru ended the session and sent Sasuke to get me for dinner. With a sigh, I returned to my body.

With a sigh, I stretched and sat up, wondering why Orochimaru wanted me to come to dinner when he usually left me to my own devices. A knock on my door let me know that Sasuke was here. So I got up, unlocked the door, and opened the door with a smile. "Hey," I said casually.

"Orochimaru sent me to get you for dinner," he said as he glanced over my shoulder and into my room. "And what happened to your desk?"

I laughed. "I wanted more space so I put it in the closet," I answered him. "I don't have many clothes so I really don't need a closet that big."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression for a moment before laughing quietly. He kissed me quickly before pulling back. "I think we should go and not keep Orochimaru from waiting. He never asks for people to come to dinner."

"Fine," I grumbled. He smiled as he took my hand and lead me out of the room.

Sasuke released my hand when we neared the dinning hall. We walked in, gathered out food, and went our separate ways. Sasuke sat at his usual spot at Orochimaru's right side, where Kabuto sat across from the Legendary Sannin at the square table at the front of the room. I turned towards my own spot in the back corner of the room when a voice stopped me. "Sakura dear, would you come sit next to Kabuto tonight? I must speak with you," Orochimaru called without raising his voice. Though he phrased it like a request, I knew that the command was anything but.

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," I answered coolly as I walked to the table and sat down beside Kabuto, across from Sasuke, without a glance at the table's occupants.

"I am afraid that the two of you will have to get along for my plans to proceed. And you do not want for those plans to fall through, do you?" Orochimaru asked politely. I bit back a growl, some how suspecting that getting along with Sasuke would more than likely mean getting very close with him physically. The table was silent. Orochimaru sighed. "Well if the two of you are not going to work together, I will make you. Kabuto."

Following the command of his name, Kabuto reached over and placed his hand on my forearm. Nothing happened at first, but a moment later, I felt his chakra burning and ripping through my arm. With precise control, his chakra never strayed past my wrist or elbow as he ripped the muscles in my arm to shreds. The pain forced me to wince unwillingly. "Hai, Orochimaru-sama," I whispered through clenched teeth. Orochimaru smiled and Kabuto removed his hand. Faint waves of anger radiated from Sasuke as he glared forward with his sharingan, but he nodded none the less.

"Now that we are all working together, we will move on," Orochimaru stated with a smile as if we were simply talking about what we each were doing for the day. "In two days, I have planned a celebration in honor of Sasuke-kun's birthday, presenting Sakura to my people, and to maintain my position as leader of this land. This is a formal occasion. Sakura, I understand that you do not have any formal attire, so you and Kabuto will go into town tomorrow to rectify this problem. Sasuke-kun will go with you to get his attire but will return before you will," He said with that same creepy smile. "Neither of you will see what the other is going to wear because I have arranged is so that you are each others date for the night. To keep tensions down and a untied front on our part, you both need to look and act like you are enjoying the evening. Do you understand?"

"Hai," we both answered in unison.

"Good," Orochimaru continued. "Now you may continue your dinner together. Kabuto and I have other tasks to attend to. Sakura dear, do you need your arm healed?"

"No, Orochimaru-sama," I answered. "I can heal it myself." I bit the inside of my cheek as my arm was jostled as Kabuto stood, refusing to show the weakness to the snake that I was living with.

Orochimaru nodded and walked away with Kabuto a few steps behind him. Once they were gone, Sasuke dropped his sharingan and looked at me with worried onyx eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his tone saying that he wanted to help but didn't know how to help.

I bit back a groan as I stood and pulled my arm to my chest, cradling it so that it wouldn't move as much. With a small painful smile, I shook my head. "No," I replied. "I'm not. He ripped the muscles in my arm apart. I need to go heal it."

"You need to eat, Sakura," he stated with a hint of concern leaking unto his tone. "Then you can heal it."

Again I shook my head. "Sorry," I said as I turned back to walk out the doorway. "But I have lost my appetite."

The sound of his chair scooting back greeted my ears as he stood to follow me. Biting back a groan, I walked out of the dinning hall with him tailing me. He followed me to my room and stepped through the door before I could close it in his face like I wanted to. Without a backwards glance as I walked to the bed I called over my shoulder, "could you please lock the door? I don't want anyone walking in."

Without a word, he did as I asked before joining me on the edge of the bed. The worry and anger rolled off him in subtle waves. With a sigh I turned and looked at him. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"No," he growled. "I knew that I couldn't interfere but I could barely sit there and watch as Kabuto did that. I've never been that angered before."

"Don't worry about that. I can heal it but it will take me some time," I replied. Then I cursed myself in my head before saying the last thing that I wanted to say. "You can stay if you would like."

He looked at me with hope deep in his onyx eyes. It was the look that I was hoping to avoid but knew that was inevitable if I was going to achieve my mission. "I am not leaving you until you are asleep," he whispered in a soft voice.

"That is fine," I said with fake happiness. "Just don't get caught. I would hate for you to get in trouble with Orochimaru."

He nodded. "You better get started on your arm," he cautioned as he glanced down at my arm. "It looks pretty bad."

With a sigh I looked down at the mess that was my arm, which looked like it had been burned and beaten. Without a word I began to heal my arm with medical ninjutsu. A few hours of slow and painful healing, my arm was finally healed. I tested the resistance of the newly healed muscles with a few quick exercises before noticing that my chakra levels were dangerously low. I fell back onto the mattress and closed my eyes as my body began to relax into sleep. Sasuke slowly laid down beside me and pulled me so that my head was resting on his shoulder. I was too tired to argue with him right now so I let the movement go for now. As my eyes began to drift close, Sasuke shifted us so that our heads laid on my pillows. The steady beat of his heart was slightly comforting and his breathing was smooth and even. Against my will, my body began to relax further into sleep. With a mental struggle, I tried to stay awake. "I forgot that your birthday was so soon," I said with a yawn. "How old you will be? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Eighteen in a few days," he replied quietly, his voice vibrating through my ear.

"What is it?" I asked with feigned interest.

"Its nothing," he sighed. He paused for a minuted before continuing. "Its been about three years," he sighed. " Since Orochimaru last switched bodies. I'm worried that I don't have much time left before he wants to take mine. I was hoping to have left before then."

"I thought you left the village to find the power to kill Itachi," I murmured in confusion.

"I did at first but now you are here and that goal doesn't seem to be as important now."

"I don't understand. How could I change that goal?" I inquired. "I thought you cared more about killing Itachi." This conversation was adding layers and layers of complication to what I originally saw as a simple seduction mission. Now I had to acknowledge the fact that I would end up breaking Sasuke in a way that no one else could. He had developed feelings for me, feelings that I would have returned years ago, but now they only complicated the way that I could approach this mission. Now I had to fully act like I was still that love struck girl that he left behind years ago. Now I had to act like the girl that I had struggled to outgrow for years.

"Well I suspect that you love me, so that pretty much puts it in perspective. I really care about you, Sakura. I don't know how to say it exactly," He eventually admitted. "Do you remember when Kakashi asked us about our goals for ourselves when we became genin?" he asked a few minutes later. I nodded against his chest. "Do you remember mine?"

"You wanted to kill Itachi for murdering your clan."

"That was only the first part. The second part was to restore my plan. And I don't think I want to do that with anyone besides you. On either part of my goal," he said quietly, a heavy emotion deep in his voice.

I remained quiet. This was so much more complicated than I had originally imagined and I could only see this ending badly. But I knew that there wasn't anything I could do about it. Orochimaru wanted Sasuke's body and sharingan but Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi and revive his clan, with my help. "So you have to kill Orochimaru," I concluded with a sigh.

I felt him nod. "But I don't know how to," he admitted. "If I escape, he will hunt me down and kill me. The only way that my children will be safe is if I kill him."

"I understand," I murmured. We laid there in silence as I once again listened to his heartbeat and steady breathing. I couldn't help but begin to relax again. Much like how an infant is comforted by similar sounds because it is what they remember subconsciously from their time in the womb. I slowly drifted to into a half unconscious state, where I was aware of the world around me but could not react to it. After a few more minutes, he gently moved out from under me and laid me onto the pillows. He covered me with a blanket and left the room after whispering good night to me. Worried settled into my mind as I dreamed about what he had said about me and his goals. He had implied that he wanted a life with me and, as I dreamed about those thoughts, I eventually fell into a sleep so deep that it was virtually impossible to dream.

* * *

 **So that is the first chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. It would be greatly appreciated. Who knows hopefully people like it and I can add more :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I know that it has been a long time but life happens. Now here is the next chapter. I will be wrapping up the SasuSaku either this chapter or next and be getting to the actual couple that this story is for: ItaSaku. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Someone was shaking my shoulder. The irritating movement pulling me from the deep sleep that I rarely allowed myself to have. "Sakura," a voice called, trying to bring me to consciousness. "Sakura. You need to wake up."

Suddenly my brain kicked into gear and I knew who it was trying to wake me up. With a groan, I rolled away from him and pulled the covers closer. I desperately wanted to return to that deep sleep that called to me like a soothing mother's lullaby.

"Hey," Sasuke laughed. "Come on. You need to get up and to town so that you can find a gown for tomorrow. I want you to be the most beautiful woman there." He grabbed the covers and tried to pull the covers off of me.

With a breathed curse, I held on tighter to the covers. "Five more minutes," I groaned.

He laughed again. "I can't allow that," he replied.

Without a warning, I was airborne. The soft pillow and bed were gone as I felt his arms pull me up. I smothered the urge to lash out violently, like I normally would, and let him pull me up to his chest. He leaned in and kissed my cheek softly, his breath softly blowing across my skin. I shuttered and quietly glared at the wall. "Fine, I'm awake," I growled, not appreciating the way that he was holding me aloft. "Now can I please be in contact with the ground?" Sasuke laughed and set me down, causing me to curse when my feet came in contact with the cold stone floor. "What are you doing here?" I asked. I wasn't a morning person, something that even other ANBU made note of because I tended to react first and ask questions later.

"Orochimaru wanted me to be cooperative and came wake you up so that we could go to town," he answered with his trade mark smirk.

I sighed. "You go ahead," I said as I walked towards the bathroom. "I'll catch up."

He nodded. "Don't go back to sleep," he reminded me before he kissed my forehead.

"I won't," I replied as I reached the bathroom door. I heard the main door close as I closed the bathroom door. Stripping down, I quickly showered and dressed before heading towards the dinning hall. Once there, I grabbed an apple and walked down the dim halls towards the entrance. I began shifting through what I would like to wear. Wondering at the skills of the seamstresses in town and what they would be capable of creating in less than forty-eight hours. _Guess I'll find out_ , I thought as I caught up with Sasuke and Kabuto.

* * *

"Would you please hold still?" the seamstress, Naii, asked in irritation. Kabuto laughed from where he lounged against the wall, his chosen spot to observe the creation of my dress. I sighed and bit back a curse. We had been here for hours and Sasuke had returned to the hideout shortly after we left. I knew that he was probably glad that he didn't have to stick around for this. However, Kabuto seemed thoroughly entertained and was watching what was going on as if he had discovered a new science: the science of shopping. We spent the first few hours shopping for dresses, but everything was borderline scandalous with deep v-cuts, open and low backs, and ridiculously high slits. I was looking for something that covered me but had a subtle sexy side. That was when I found Naii and, after I outlined what I was looking for, she assured me that she could have the dress done by tomorrow afternoon.

"You know, Kabuto," I said in annoyance. "I am sure that the lord needs you more than I do. Why don't you go on head and I return when I am done with Naii."

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he replied with a shake of his head. "The lord doesn't like his new trainees wondering around without an escort."

"I am sure that you mean a guard," I muttered under my breath, thankfully too low for him to here but not low enough to escape Naii's notice. She smiled and continued to pin the dress together on my slender frame.

After a few more minutes, Naii stood with a sigh. "I'm done for now," she said as she stretched. "But I need you to come by in the morning to see if it fits correctly and see if I need to make any adjustments."

I nodded as I stepped down from the stool and walked towards the changing room with Naii following me. She slowly helped me pull the dress off, helping to make sure that the sharp pins didn't stab me. "Thank you so much of doing this," I said as I began to dress.

"Its no problem," she said with a smile. "But you are very welcome."

Once I was dressed, I followed Kabuto as we headed towards the hideout. I took the time to watch the village people as they continued about their day. I wondered if they knew that they lived right next to the snake that would be more then happy to take their bodies for his twisted experiments. A glimmer of steel pulled my thoughts from their dark wondering. Without a word, I turned and walked towards the shop. "Where are you going?" Kabuto asked, irritation and curiosity mixing in his tone.

"I need to get something here," I stated plainly.

"You need weapons?" he asked, stupidly in my opinion.

"Yeah," I replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Really, what shinobi wouldn't need weapons. I walked into the shop and stopped in my tracks. The shop was deceptively large and contained almost every type of weapon imaginable. I spotted a section of katanas in varying shapes and sizes and was drawn to them like a moth to an open flame.

As I looked over the katanas, the owner noticed me and walked over. "Hello," he welcomed warmly. "What can I get for you today?"

I looked up at him. He was tall, around six feet if I had to guess, and solidly built. By his attire and thick biceps, I could tell that he was a blacksmith as well. "Well, I was looking for a pair of katanas," I explained. "Straighter, not really a curved blade, with a slide curve on the tip. Also needs to be very sharp."

He looked at me for a minute in surprise. "All of my blades are sharp enough that you could take them to battle as is," He explained. "But the straighter blade may prove to be more difficult."

"Well I suppose I can look at other shops," I murmured as I turned to walk out.

"Wait a minute," the smith called. "I apologize. I was very rude to you. We just do not get many kunoichi in the area. It is very rare to see one." I nodded my understanding. "So you need a straight pair. Hmm," he rubbed his jaw as he eyed the rows of katanas. Every now and then he would pick up a katana before shaking his head and returning it to the rack. "How about this one?" he asked holding up a katana.

It looked very similar to Sasuke's except it was shorter. I held out my hand and the smith gently placed the hilt in my hand. Pulling it closer, I inspected the blade. It was light, well balanced, and beautifully crafted. I tested the edge of it with my thumb, which was cut with the slightest of pressure. Only an expert could craft a blade like this, one that had a passion for the craft. I smiled at the smith with new appreciation and respect. "It is perfect," I replied. "I'll take the pair."

The smith smiled and happily sold me the pair of blades. I walked out of the shop and sighed as we walked towards the hideout. I really, really didn't want to return to Orochimaru. This mission was pushing the limits of my patience and it had only been about two weeks. "Why did you need to buy those?" Kabuto asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shrugged. "I wanted to learn how to use them," I answered flatly. He thankfully took the hint and remained silent the rest of the walk back to the hideout. Once we were there, I returned to my room and locked the door behind me, eager to begin working with my new katanas.

* * *

A knock at the door pulled me from my pretend battle as I practiced with my katanas. With a sigh, I sheathed my blades, tossing them on my bed as I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. I quietly cursed as I realized that I had spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening practicing and unlatched the door before opening it. I knew that someone would come find me eventually since I had essentially disappeared for the day but I was enjoying myself too much to really care. "Go away," I called as I stretched my muscles so they wouldn't stiffen after such a long work out.

"I heard that you bought new weapons," Sasuke replied through the door.

I bit back a growl and unlocked the door before pulling it open to reveal Sasuke leaning against the door frame, seeming to be without a care in the world. "I did and no," I said before he could speak as to his reason for being at my door. "I am not hungry."

He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "How did you know that that was why I was here?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Orochimaru is sometimes predictable," I simply stated before turning and walking to my bed to retrieve my katanas. I held one out to him as he followed me into the room with a sigh. "I suppose that you would like to see, correct?"

He simply nodded and took the sheathed blade from my hand. He expertly drew the weapon and examined the beautiful blade that now seemed to shine with a faint glow from within itself. "It is a very fine weapon," he murmured. "I can tell that you can channel chakra through it by the glow. By the way," he started as he sheathed the blade and handed it back. "Can I see your dress?"

I shook my head. "It isn't made yet," was all that I said as I set the katanas on my bed once again.

"Hn," he grunted before, thankfully, returning to the original topic. "We will have to spar with with our swords soon. It should prove to be interesting." I was about to reply when my stomach growled. "Come eat, Sakura," he said before I could speak. "You know that you need to."

I glared at him for a moment before sighing heavily. "Fine," I hissed as I walked out of my room with him walking a few steps behind me. _Just a little bit longer_ , I thought to myself. _You only have to do this for a little while, just long enough to figure out where Orochimaru has been hiding all these years._ But as I walked down the hall I knew that it was going to take a lot longer than I really wanted it to.

* * *

"It is gorgeous, Naii," I said in awe as I looked at my reflection. "I love it. You did a wonderful job for such a short time-line."

"Thank you, Sakura," Naii replied. "I'll go ahead and admit that it wasn't easy but I tried my best to do what you were asking for."

"Believe me," I said as I turned slightly while still watching my reflection. "Your best was more than I expected." Thankfully, Orochimaru let me come alone today to pick up my dress, something about wanting to keep it a surprise, so I didn't have to deal with Kabuto and his strange and off-putting attitude. The dress was made of black satin and a thin layer of see through chiffon. It was strapless with just enough length to pool gracefully on the floor. The chiffon had a draped affect across the neckline with a black crystal resting in the center of it. The empire silhouette was conservative but still seductive, just not in an extremely obvious way. The back was open down to the top of the small of my back, revealing just enough to temp someone. I knew that tonight Sasuke would probably want to change how we interacted with each other. He wanted more and I had to give it to him so that I could bring him back to the village once I had completed my mission. In most seduction missions, one was straight to the point, wearing sexy and revealing clothes that made their meaning clear, but this mission would take more finesse and a far more subtle approach.

"I'm glad that you like it," Naii said, pulling me from my thoughts. "I was a little worried when you initially showed me the design."

I nodded and looked back at the mirror. Something was missing. "Do you have any hair or accessory ideas?" I asked. I didn't really ever have a reason to dress up formally so I never had to worry about it before. Usually, I would have asked Ino but seeing as she wasn't here...

"Of course," Naii replied with a brilliant smile. "I always think of that when I'm working on something. How about you pull the front of your hair back like this." She gently pulled the front of my hair back, leaving a few strands of pink to frame my face. "And wear a simple necklace and some earrings. With you I would say staying simple is the best way to go."

I nodded and changed out of the dress. She smiled and thanked me as I paid for the dress. "Your date will be speechless when he sees you," she said as I left the shop. I shook my head and waved as I made my way over to a jewelry store. Once inside, it didn't take me long to find a simple silver necklace with a teardrop shaped diamond pendent and some simple dangling diamond earrings. Once I was done there, I leisurely made my way back to the compound, taking advantage of the nice day and warm sunlight. The sunlight turned the leaves and grass from their normal colors to brilliant shades of jade and green. Birds flew happily about and small animals scurried across the forest floor as they carried on about their day. It was nice to be outside, in the sun, for a change because Orochimaru never let us out of the compound willingly. It was always sneak out or be beaten in the attempt to simply walk out.

Unfortunately, I reached the compound faster than I wanted to and disappeared into darkness once again. The walk to my room was short and, once there, I hung up my dress and glanced at the clock. I had just enough time to get ready to go for the evening. Growling at what would probably be a long few hours, I walked into the bathroom and began the tedious process of getting ready.

* * *

A knock on the door pulled me from the meditative state that I had some how managed to achieve while I was getting ready. I put the last earring in my ear and sighed at my reflection. "Sakura, my dear," Orochimaru called through the door. "Come out and join the party."

"Can you please give me a minute?" I asked as I stared at my reflection.

"Of course," he chuckled with amusement. I rolled my eyes and pulled the last threads of my patience together as I studied my reflection. I had forgotten how much I hated getting ready for formal events. My hair had been a pain before I had managed to get it swept up elegantly with a few strands framing my face. Then my make up hadn't cooperated around my eyes and I had to start over before I got it right. I was satisfied with my looks, elegant with an understated sensual side. With a last glance, I left the bathroom and opened the door. Orochimaru smirked. I had expected either him or Kabuto to bring me to the party but I had honestly been hoping for Kabuto. At least he would have known not to bother me. "Well," Orochimaru said as he inspected me from head to toe. "Don't you look extremely angelic and beautiful this evening."

I smiled politely as I took his offered arm, barely suppressing my cringe at the contact with his cool arm. "Thank you, Orochimaru-sama," I murmured. With a not-so-gentle tug on my arm, Orochimaru lead me down the hallway towards the training hall. The walk didn't take long and he stopped me in the shadows just outside the entrance to the hall. Leaving me in the shadows, he opened the doors and walked inside, allowing light and music to spill into the hallway. A few moments later, he reappeared with Sasuke tailing him.

"My dear," Orochimaru called with amusement lacing his tone. "Why don't you step into the light so that your date can have a look at you?" Steeling myself against what I knew would be another act in the long drama that was this mission, I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Neither Orochimaru nor Sasuke said a word as they stared at me. Sasuke wore a classic tuxedo and I had to grudgingly admit that he did look attractive. His black eyes glimmered as they dropped down to my toes and slowly rose, taking in the length of my body. "I'll give you a moment to yourselves," Orochimaru murmured, his eyes narrowed in calculated maneuvering. I knew that he wanted something more than me simply training with Sasuke but I was doing everything that I could to prevent leading him down that path. However, trying to outsmart Orochimaru was like trying to climb up a steep hill in the rain without chakra. "Don't be too long." Sasuke nodded, his eyes stilled glued to me. With a grin, Orochimaru turned and walked back into the hall.

Sasuke and I stared at each other, the silence dragging on. "You look nice," I broke the silence with a forced smile.

"Sakura," he murmured, a shocked undertone in his voice. "Is that really you?"

I struggled to keep from rolling my eyes but I didn't have the restraint to completely hold back my smart comment. "Who else would I be?" I asked gently once I was sure that I could keep the sarcasm out of my voice. He remained silent, staring at me like he had seen a ghost. When his stare finally became unnerving, I decided to break the silence once again. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. I just..." he hesitated with a strange look on his face. "I think I'm in shock."

I stifled my full blown laughter at his puzzlement. "Do you want me to leave so that you can recover yourself?" I asked, inwardly rolling my eyes. Maybe Naruto had been onto something with those harem jutsu.

"No," he replied while slowly coming out of his shock. "I'd probably go back into it when you come back, if you did."

"True," I murmured coyly while my inner shook her head in disgust. _What kind of shinobi lets a simple dress distract them so much?_ He slowly, hesitantly, approached me and lifted his hands to frame my face. I held perfectly still, not liking that he could break my neck with one quick twist. He stared at me until I couldn't take it anymore. "What is it?" I asked quietly, really beginning to hate this charade. "I'm still me."

He shook his head in denial. "I feel like you might disappear at any moment," he murmured in reverence.

My inner groaned at the love struck look in his eyes. "I won't disappear," I lied smoothly. Not tonight at least.

"You look angelic," he stated plainly. "You are easily the most beautiful person here. There are plenty of single women in there who have had their eyes on me."

"Really?" I asked with just a little bit of sarcasm. There was the Uchiha arrogance.

He nodded. "But none of them stand a chance now that I have seen you." I bit the side of my tongue to hold back a curse. I knew where this night would end up and I didn't like it. My brain quickly began to work though possible ways to get out of that situation to no avail. "Now I think that we should join the party before Orochimaru comes looking for us."

I nodded in agreement and allowed him to kiss me before I took his offered arm. With a final smile, he lead me into the room. The training hall had been transformed. There were more candles to light the huge room though the walls still couldn't be seen. On one side was a table laden with food and drinks and a dance floor had been set up in the center of the hall with tables surrounding it. On the far side of the room was a long, beautifully decorated table where Orochimaru and Kabuto sat, watching the event with cold eyes. The hall fell silent as we walked in, much to my irritation. I saw many single men and women, all dressed their best and all staring at us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Orochimaru smile with pleasure while Kabuto glared at Sasuke.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Orochimaru called from his seat. "Our honored guests for the evening have arrived." Slowly, people began to applaud as Sasuke lead me forward.

I inwardly sighed as I knew that I would have to play the part of a smitten girl yet again. "We may have to split up for a while so we can lift the mood," I whispered shyly to Sasuke as I pointed out the glares and crestfallen looks of the crowd.

"Hn," he agreed. "Later though. Dinner is about to be served."

I nodded and let him lead me to the main table. I hated not knowing what was going on but I knew that I had to play the part of a submissive, clueless girl. "Please take your seats. Dinner is served," Orochimaru called. Once we reached the table, Sasuke pulled out my chair and let me sit before taking his own seat to my right. Orochimaru was to Sasuke's right and Kabuto, who began drooling over my appearance after he stopped glaring at Sasuke, was to my left. Without a pause, dinner was placed in front of us and our glasses were fulled with champagne. With a curious glance around the room, I watched as everyone else took a drink before taking a sip of my own. I wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to try and gain some new blood for his experiments tonight. As dinner progressed, Kabuto tried to start several conversations with me but I politely shut him down with precise answers. Careful to keep up with the pretense of being in love with Sasuke, I kept glancing at him and gave him small smiles of encouragement.

After dinner, people began to wander around the room and socialize with others, many taking their drinks with them. "I believe now is the time to begin easing the tension," Sasuke whispered in my ear. "Would you like to dance? He asked where Orochimaru could hear him.

"Of course," I answered with a smile. He took my hand and lead me to the dance floor before pulling me close as a song began. After a few minutes, others began to come and ask for my next dance. With a smile, Sasuke nodded and handed me off. Shaking my head, I turned to my new partner and smiled. This part of missions I loved. Gathering information to keep my loved ones safe. This was the reason that I became ANBU; to take the missions that would protect others. As the night continued to progress, I danced and gathered information with such subtle skill that no one knew what they were giving up. Numbers, guard rotations, supply routes, prisons; it would all go back to ANBU where Tsunade would begin making missions to strike Orochimaru's weaknesses. Sadly though, Sasuke returned and I had to remember my original purpose. Unfortunately, I let a sigh slip.

"What is it?" he asked.

 _Fuck._ "Nothing," I murmured, annoyed that he caught the sigh.

He laughed. "It can't be nothing. Otherwise you wouldn't look annoyed."

I blinked at him in surprise before acknowledging that as we grew up together, he may know how to read me better than others. "I don't like being handed from person to person like an object," I replied smoothly. _Though I do like the information that they give up._

"At least the tension is better," He stated as he pulled me closer, leaving a hair's breadth between us.

"I guess," I replied, thinking about how much I'd rather not be so close to him.

"What is it?" He asked as he spun me out and back again.

"I'm surprised that I did not like you dancing with others," I lied with ease.

He laughed. "Jealous?"

I shrugged and looked away. Tsunade always warned me that my eyes could often give me away if I wasn't careful, more so when I was irritated. "Maybe."

"You know," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "You are incredibly beautiful when your jealous."

I glared at him as he smiled in pleasure. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed me. I forced myself to relax and surrender to the kiss. He was soft and gentle, his lips smooth and soft. He was not a bad kisser but there was nothing there. I let him kiss me until he pulled back with a sigh. "I don't think that this is the place to keep doing that," he murmured reluctantly.

"I suppose not," I replied as I glanced at Orochimaru out of the corner of my eye. He was smiling broadly at us. _That snake wants something and we are giving it to him_ , my inner growled and I was inclined to agree.

After a few more songs, Orochimaru called the event to an end and the guests began to slowly leave, a few staying behind with a dazed look in their eyes. I doubted those people would live very long. Sasuke lead me to my room and followed me in, a hungry look in his eyes. I excused myself and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I contemplated the situation that I was in as I took my earrings out and let my hair down. I didn't want to sleep with Sasuke. He was too much of a brother and I couldn't go through it physically. I was the one aspect of seduction missions that I had failed at and only Tsunade knew. I could do everything but sex and I did it well. But something in me just wouldn't allow for me to sleep with others. Sighing, I brushed my hair and subtly gathered chakra. Placing the brush on the counter, I created a clone and settled on the counter. Only Tsunade knew that I did this and I did it with such skill that no one ever knew that it was a clone in the room. Nodding, my clone turned, washed off her makeup, and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Closing my eyes, I allowed her perceptions to enter my thoughts.

Sasuke had taken off his jacket and untucked his shirt. He was laying across my bed with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Once my clone walked into the room, he looked at her and smiled. "Glad to have the celebration over with?" she asked as she crossed the room. She sat down next to him and took off her heels.

"Yes," he answered, "But not glad that the day is almost over." He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and leaned into him. With a low chuckle, he laid back and allowed her to cuddle with him. I was surprised as his guard seemed unusually low for living with Orochimaru. My clone looked up at him in question which caused him to laugh. He ran his hand up and down my back before stopping at the zipper on my dress. My clone stopped him and looked at him. _Really?_ My inner yelled. _It takes more than that to get a girl worth her salts into bed._ I smothered a laugh and reminded her that this was Sasuke, who always had girls chasing him, begging to sleep with them.

"As a birthday gift?" he asked, pulling me back into my clone's thoughts. Both me and my inner raised our eyebrows at that. Did he really think we were that easy?

"I'm not sure Sasuke," my clone said quietly, almost shyly.

"Please," he breathed as he ran his hand slowly up and down her bare back.

"I don't know," my clone repeated, stringing him along quite nicely.

"Well I am," he whispered before kissing her. _He really needs to learn how to take no as an answer_ , my inner grumbled as Sasuke kissed my clone passionately. "I'll be gentle," he breathed against her lips. My clone struggled against his kiss a little before giving in. She slowly reached for his shirt and unbuttoned it. Knowing the decision that my clone had made, he stood and pulled her with him. As she continued to unbutton his shirt, he unzipped his pants and shoved them off before reaching for her dress. He unzipped it slowly and let it fall to the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. Once they were undressed, he wrapped his arms around her and laid her on the bed before kissing her. As the kisses became more passionate, he rolled over so that she was on top and they made love most of the night before falling asleep.

Waiting long enough to be sure that they were asleep, I snuck back into the room and curled my lip at the heavy smell of sex. Walking silently into the closet, I changed into a set of clean pajamas before settling on the desk to sleep.

* * *

I regained consciousness slowly as my clone began to wake up, taking note that she wasn't alone. Sighing, I allowed my body to slip into a meditative state and get the rest that it needed while I let the clone's thoughts filter into my mind.

She lay across Sasuke's chest, her head resting on his heart, and his hand running along the length of her bare back. Looking up, she noticed that his other hand was under his head as he stared at the ceiling, a small smile on his face. "Did you sleep well?" she asked, gaining his attention.

"I slept very well," he replied.

"I'm glad" my clone smiled before snuggling closer to him.

"Orochimaru will be curious when he discovers that I am not in my room," he said off handedly.

"He will know," my clone grumbled as if she didn't want her private life to be known.

"He knew when I kissed you last night and you didn't react violently," Sasuke corrected. "Kabuto is going to be a problem though." His eyes narrowed at the thought.

"Why?"

"He wanted you for himself," Sasuke said. "Its always been a competition between us. If he didn't have a reason to kill me before, he does now. Though now that Orochimaru knows that I have an interest outside of gaining power, he will move his plans forward. He will try and take my body much sooner."

"What is stopping us from leaving right now?" my clone asked in concern.

"He will keep a close eye on us for awhile. If we act like we don't want to leave, he may let up the pressure. But if we act like we want to leave, then he will act accordingly and we will be in trouble."

"Then we don't show interest in leaving," my clone summarized simply. "When he lets up, we can leave then."

"That is probably the best idea. We don't stay in one place more than a month and when we move there is much less security. But where will we go?"

"I think I might have a place," my clone began, slowly planting the seed into his thoughts. "We could go back to the Leaf."

He tensed against my clone, anger and confusion reaching me in the closet. "Why there? You just left there. And why would I go back to that place?"

"Because it is the safest place for you from Orochimaru. The reason that I left was to find you," my clone murmured as she moved closer to him. "If I asked and explained everything to Tsunade-sama, I am sure that they would understand. Besides, Orochimaru would never openly attack the Villiage."

He looked at my clone skeptically before giving in. He was smart enough to know that my logic was correct. "Fine," he grumbled.

"I love you," my clone murmured while looking up at him though her lashed, sealing the deal.

"I love you too," he smiled as he rolled over so that he was on top of her. "Now, I think there is something else we can do with our time until breakfast." With a smile, my clone kissed him and that was all the encouragement that he needed.

* * *

"You were right," I murmured as we sat down in the cafeteria together to keep up appearances on my part. "Kabuto does look angry."

Sasuke laughed. We were sitting far enough from Orochimaru that he could not hear us but too close for my comfort level. We ate in silence, an old familiar feeling of camaraderie in the air between us. I had to admit that a part of me was glad to have one of my old teammates back, even knowing that he would most likely hate me later. As we gathered our plates and stood, I remembered him wanting to work on swordsmanship with me. "Would you still like to work on sword play today?" I asked as we placed the trays in the window and walked out of the room.

"Hn," he grunted in reply. "We will have to find somewhere though. We cannot leave and the training hall is not cleared out yet."

"I can think of other places," I replied slyly.

He raised an eyebrow. "And where would that be?"

"I have been practicing in my room but I am sure that there is somewhere else that we could practice," I said simply, eager to find out more about the compound than I had already discovered.

"Your room is too small," he replied coolly. "And I doubt that I could hold myself back with you in proximity to a bed." Without a word, he backed me against the hall wall and kissed me. I shoved down the urge to shove him back but let the kiss go. He wasn't a bad kisser, I thought. But there was definitely no spark or anything. I was pleasant in the way that a warm shower after a long mission was.

" Your point has been made," I surrendered when he pulled back to let me breathe again.

"Sasuke," Kabuto called as he walked towards us causing Sasuke to sigh in irritation. Sasuke pulled back and glared at the smaller man. "Orochimaru wants to see you," Kabuto growled at Sasuke, his cold and calculating gaze switching between me and Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. With one last glance at me, he activated his sharingan and walked back down the hall with Kabuto following him. Shaking off the negative emotions, I turned and headed back towards my room. I didn't need Sasuke to practice my sword play and without him there I could work on my ANBU sword skills as well. Smiling to myself, I locked the door and picked up my two katanas. Focusing on the balanced weight of the two blades, I preformed a few simple katas to loosen up and held the two swords before me. With precise control, I allowed some of my chakra to leak into the blades and form a thin second sharp edge a few millimeters from the actual blade. Closing my eyes, I sank into my subconscious and let myself imagine a battlefield. Without thought, I launched into the field and began my battle.

A knock pulled me out of my battle several hours later. Sheathing the swords, I opened the door to reveal Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto. "My dear, we need to speak with you," Orochimaru said pleasantly. "May we come in?" Nodding, I stepped back and allowed them entrance. Sasuke was the last to enter and grabbed my hand as I closed the door behind him and pulled me toeards the bed. I sat down beside him and looked at Orochimaru expectantly, ignoring the glares that Kabuto sent our way.

"I know that you have not been with us long but we do not stay in one place long," Orochimaru started. "It is time for us to move on. You need not worry about your things here as they will be watched. Usually, we bring essentials and the rest is provided when we arrive at our destination."

"I understand, Orochimaru-sama," I answered with a bow. I knew that this would happen and I was eager to really begin my mission on gathering intelligence on Orochimaru and his hiding places.

"I am glad," Orochimaru said with a smile as he eyed my position next to Sasuke with too much pleasure to make me comfortable. "We will leave in the morning so be sure to pack. And please be kind to Kabuto. He does not need anything else to upset him." With a final nod, he and Kabuto walked out of the room.

I sighed once the door was closed again. "Kabuto is getting on my nerves," Sasuke growled. _And you are getting on mine_ , my inner grumbled as I laughed and leaned onto him.

"Mine as well."

"What did you do today?" he asked as his hand began tracing patterns on my arm.

I shrugged. "I worked on my swordsmanship," I replied honestly as I stood and walked towards the closet. I could read his body language like a book. He wanted sex again, like any sex starved man. Changing into pajamas, I silently created a clone and sent her into the room. I settled back on the desk as my clone walked into the room.

"What are you thinking?" she asked as she sat down on the bed and took note of the devious look on his face.

Sasuke laughed. "Kabuto is going to have a very hard time while we are moving," he smirked. "We usually sleep at night and I plan on being next to you."

"You do like irritating him," she noted. "I almost feel bad for him."

"Don't," Sasuke said as he forced her to the bed, trapping her beneath him. "Don't feel sorry for him. It will completely ruin it." My clone nodded as she picked up on the mood that I had already noticed. "Good," he murmured as he started kissing her. Without much encouragement, they twisted around each other and strived for completion before falling asleep in bliss.

* * *

The feel of someone shaking my clone's shoulder, trying to wake her, woke me up. Sighing, I let some of her thought's into my mind. Slowly the shaking on her shoulder increased as the person began to speak. "Sakura," Sasuke called. "It is time to get up. Orochimaru will be angry if we are not ready to go."

My clone groaned. "I already packed," she hissed. "I never unpacked so let me sleep."

"You also need to eat," Sasuke said, still shaking her shoulder. "Wake up."

"No I don't," she groaned. "I have plenty of provision pills. Just one of those and I am good for days." She tried to pull the covers closer but Sasuke had already pulled them off of the bed.

With a sigh, Sasuke walked away. Once I heard him enter the bathroom, I quickly dispelled the clone and took her place, sinking into the mattress for a second of enjoyment. Closing my eyes, I feigned sleep as I listened to him fill a glass full of water and walk back to the bedside. "Either you get up or I will get you up," he threatened.

I growled and moved away from him. "You wouldn't dare," I hissed.

"Then get up," he said simply.

I remained where I was but I tensed, ready to attack should he follow through with his attack. He laughed evilly and threw the water on me as he back away. The water was freezing, by far worse than the land of snow, and I was totally soaked. After sleeping on the desk and now being soaked in water, I was pissed. "You are dead," I yelled as I launched myself at him, knocking him to the ground. He tried to pin me down and, when that didn't work, he tried to escape from under me and through the door.

We rolled across the floor, both of us trying to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, there was a knock at my door that went ignored. Sasuke and I continued to wrestle, trying to pin each other down, as Orochimaru and Kabuto walked in and froze at the sight. Suddenly, I was pinned under Orochimaru. Sasuke stood, a smirk on his face, ready encase I managed to get free. Kabuto was faintly amused and surprised at the sight of our fighting.

"Now my dear," Orochimaru said smoothly. "What is the reason for this?"

Sasuke answered instead of me. "She did not want to get up so I threw water on her to make her get up," he chuckled as he relaxed his stance. A dangerous mistake if Orochimaru hadn't been the one pinning me down. I growled and glared at him as I struggled faintly under Orochimaru's hold. Orochimaru was oblivious of the fact that I was struggling, or so he appeared.

"Really?" Orochimaru asked in surprise. Sasuke nodded and suddenly the two of them began laughing. I closed my eyes, realizing that I couldn't get free of Orochimaru without giving up my cover and worked to control my anger at Sasuke. As I began to calm myself, I focused on relaxing my muscles and forcing them to fall limp. Orochimaru felt the change and released me. Kabuto hadn't said anything the entire time he had been in the room and simply stared at me. Sighing, I realized that I had minimal clothes on and swiftly grabbed the blanket from the floor and wrapped it around me. Kabuto blinked and began pulling himself together as Orochimaru and Sasuke stopped laughing. Orochimaru seemed highly amused and Sasuke was glaring at Kabuto with sharingan eyes. Orochimaru cleared his throat and spoke. "We were coming to see of the two of you were awake as you have not been to breakfast yet. As we approached, we heard yelling and a struggle. I am surprised that you were still asleep, Sakura." He smiled at me with a creepy intent. "I would have thought that you would have been up for hours already."

"I would still be asleep if Sasuke hadn't thrown water on me," I replied, glaring at them.

"Well," Orochimaru said. "We will leave you to get dressed. Be sure to pack lightly and wear something that will keep you cool. We will be crossing a desert along the way. Join us in the dining hall when you are ready. We will eat quickly and then leave."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," I replied with a bow.

Orochimaru turned and motioned Kabuto with him, before pausing at the door. "Sasuke, why don't you come with us. I have a feeling that Sakura will attack you again if I leave you here."

Sasuke nodded and followed them as they all left the room and closed the door behind them. I finally released my anger now that I was alone. I quickly got dressed and made sure that I had everything I needed, knowing that I would never return, and left for the dining hall. The others were there and already eating. I gathered my food and sat down, eating quietly and quickly. Finally, we all finished eating and we headed out of the compound. We had a few guards with us but that did not slow us as we sprinted at full speed away from the Sound. All I could hope for was that I would never have to return and that I could complete my mission with minimal time needed.

* * *

 **A/N: There is the second chapter and I will be wrapping up the SasuSaku section next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: And here is the next chapter. I didn't expect to get this one out so soon but it is complete so, enjoy. Please let me know what you think, so leave a review or comment.**

* * *

Chapter 3

There was a knock at my door. It has been six months since we left Sound and we were preparing to move back again, having gone through all of Orochimaru's hide outs. By this point, I knew that there was not anything else that I could learn about Orochimaru for Tsunade and I was beyond ready to return home. The only question that I had was whether or not I had to continue my ruse of being in love with Sasuke once we returned to the Hidden Leaf. "Come in, Sasuke," I called as I double checked my backpack.

Sasuke silently walked in and hugged me from behind. Sighing, I leaned against him. I was really hating this ruse. No, I did not love Sasuke but I did care for him as I would any other person of the Rookie Nine. I would not like hurting him after leading him on as I had the past six months but I knew that I had to. We planned on leaving Orochimaru on our second day of travel as that would be when we were closest to the boarder to the Land of Fire. I knew that it was the best chance that we had at avoiding capture by Orochimaru and I had already warned Tsunade and received the ANBU patrol rotations so that we could avoid detection. Tomorrow night I would finally be home again. "Nervous?" Sasuke asked quietly.

I shrugged. I was more excited than nervous. "Maybe," I replied vaguely.

"Don't be," he murmured as he kissed my neck softly. "We will make it." I bit back another sigh. That was something that constantly annoyed me. No matter how many times we tied in a spar (only because I was holding back), he still saw me as the same helpless girl that chased after him when we were younger. He hadn't realized that I was no longer that person, that she had died the night he left her on a bench.

Shoving my annoyance into a box in the back of my mind, I smiled slightly. Sasuke had asked me to marry him about a month ago and, needless to say I was not happy about the offer. To keep up the ruse, I had accepted but I did not wear the ring that he gave me. Orochimaru was a tad to happy that we spent as much time together as we did; I did not want to give him more pleasure. " I guess we had better get going," I stated softly as I gabbed my bag.

"One last thing," Sasuke said as he gently grabbed my arm to stop me from walking out of the room. He held my face in his hands and gently kissed me. He started out gently but slowly became more passionate and I had no choice but to match him unless I gave myself away. I wrapped my arms around his neck and twisted my hand into his hair, which was soft but not as soft as Neji's. He copied my movement with one hand while the other moved to the small of my back, where he pulled me closer to him. Finally, he pulled away, ending the kiss. "We may not get anymore privacy until we reach the Leaf," he explained as he tried to catch his breath.

I nodded and stepped back as I sensed chakra a second before someone knocked at the door. I called out for the person to enter and watched as Orochimaru and Kabuto walked in. It must have been Kabuto's chakra that I sensed as Orochimaru always had his repressed unless he was in battle. Neither said anything about Sasuke being in my room though Orochimaru's eyes held a pleased gleam that I still did not like. "Ready?" Orochimaru asked pleasantly.

"Hai," Sasuke and I replied at the same time.

"Then let us be on our way," Orochimaru said as he turned and walked out the door with us following him. Closing my eyes, I welcomed the open air as it kissed my skin as we walked outside before opening them and sprinting into the forest.

We stopped as the sun began to sink below the horizon to make camp for the night. The guards that we had with us would take shifts throughout the night to make sure no one disturbed us. I began to gather wood to build a fire with while Sasuke disappeared into the forest to hunt for food. As I built the fire, I wondered once again why we didn't hunt along the way but kept my mouth shut. Just as the fire began to really burn, Sasuke returned with a few rabbit. In companionable silence, we skinned and gutted the rabbits and set them on a hot stone to cook on. I looked up at the stars as we waited. The sky was turning a brilliant orange with red and yellows intermixed on the clouds' edges and the deep night blue was slowly eating away the colors as the sun sank further below the horizon.

Once the rabbit was cooked, we all ate in silence and settled onto our blankets for the night. As soon as Sasuke's head hit the ground, he was asleep. My inner and I rolled out eyes at how easy it was for him to let his guard down. Things like that would get you killed. Even though Orochimaru had him and I sprint circles around them as we traveled for training purposes, it was when you were exhausted and hungry that the enemy would most likely strike. I listened as Orochimaru and Kabuto's breathing even out as they too fell asleep, leaving me the only one awake.

The forest was quiet and peaceful as I watched the stars slowly come out. The moon was bright and full as it began its rise into the sky, providing more light to see by. A part of me wished to fly amongst the stars, free and uncaring of the world beneath me, but the rest of me knew that I had to protect my home and village, both as a medic and a kunoichi. I slowly allowed my body to relax into a doze that would be broken the second someone moved towards me. Tomorrow I would allow myself to sleep; tonight I had to survive.

* * *

We woke early, just as the sun was beginning to rise, and packed camp. Without wasting time, we were off again. I struggled to contain my excitement as we moved closer to Konoha. I was almost home. I would get to see Tsunade-shishou and Ino and Naruto and Shizune. I would get to sleep in my own home for the first time in six months. I shook my head as I imagined Naruto's reaction to seeing me again. With a small smile, I cleared my thoughts and focused on getting to camp first. Time passed quickly as it always did when we were traveling and, as the sun began to set, we set up camp as we had the night before. After eating, we settled in for the night but instead of falling asleep, Sasuke and I feigned sleep and kept a careful watch out for the guards rotation patterns.

After the sun set and the moon rose completely, I heard Sasuke get up. I heard his approach, sat up, and began rolling my blanket to store it in my pack. Nodding at each other, we silently left, easily avoiding the guards. Once we were clear of the camp, we began sprinting towards Konoha. I pushed my speed until we were running side by side and then pushed us faster. We couldn't afford to linger. Finally, after a few hours of sprinting, I could see the village wall. Signaling for Sasuke to follow me, I lead him around towards the monument, closer to Tsunade's office in the Hokage tower. Even though I could sense his unease, he didn't falter as we climbed the monument and stood over the village.

I looked over the village as it was bathed in pale moonlight. The main road was lit with lanterns, extending from the main gate to the Hokage Tower below us. The many districts were lit in differing brightness depending on who lived there but, to me, it was a beautiful sight. "Nothing is going to happen," I told him quietly.

"I doubt that anyone is going to be glad to see me," Sasuke muttered darkly.

"Naruto will be," I smirked.

"Hn," he grunted with a shake of his head. "Lets get this over with."

Nodding, I took one last glace over the village and stepped off of the monument. I landed silently on the roof of Hokage tower and glanced at Sasuke as he landed beside me with a quiet thud. Standing, I walked toward the door and opened it, finally allowing my chakra to probe ahead of me without being detected. Sasuke followed me tensely into the tower and his tension only heightened as I lead him to Tsunade's door. I flared my chakra and felt her answering flair in return before I opened the door. When we walked in, the second the door closed, I felt the second person's chakra and turned to warn Sasuke but was a fraction too late. Jiraiya stood behind Sasuke, a kunai to his throat. Sasuke stood frozen, a small bit of panic showing in his wide eyes. "Jiraiya, please release my fiance," I asked pleasantly, a sweet smile on my face.

"It is good to see you to, Sakura," Jiraiya said happily as he stepped back from Sasuke. My eyes narrowed at his easy acceptance of my statement. Tsunade must have clued him in. "And how are you?"

"I am fine," I replied as I turned to Tsunade. "It is nice to see you, Shishou."

Tsunade's honey brown eyes gleamed happily. "Sakura," she said in greeting. "How was you mission?"

I felt Sasuke tense as he moved to stand beside me. "It went well," I replied. "You will have my report before noon." Tsunade blinked as she glanced behind her at the lightening sky. "You would take all night to get here, brat."

I smiled sweetly. "I highly doubt you would like me leading an army to the gates," I stated.

"Well you will have to heal those that were injured trying to take on your missions," she reprimanded me. "A great many are still in the hospital."

"Hai, Shishou," I replied with a bow. "However, no one else would have survived this mission."

Tsunade nodded and cut her glance to Sasuke. "What is this fiance business?"

"Its rather self explanatory," I murmured with a shrug. "He asked and I said yes."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she read between the lines. She was the person that helped me pick up the pieces after Sasuke left the Village and she knew that I would never go back to the girl I was. She more than likely knew that the mission would have taken the qualities of a seduction mission but not even I foresaw this happening. "Sasuke," she said curtly, looking back at him with hard eyes. "You will have to keep a low profile while I decide what your future holds. I will speak to the other shinobi but even my command is not enough to hold some of them back. You have hurt a great many people in this Village. Do not expect a warm reception."

Sasuke tensed and nodded his head in understanding. "Very well," Tsunade said leaning back in her chair. "I await your report, Sakura. Dismissed."

Bowing, I lead Sasuke to the window and prepared to leave. Thankfully, it was still early and the others would not quite be up yet but there was still a risk. Sighing, I leapt from the window and headed towards the apartment.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said quietly as she watched her apprentice run across the roofs with her old teammate. "Go get Naruto. He needs to know about this and that he is not to make a scene."

"Hmm," Jiraiya muttered turning serious. "I don't like this fiance business. I know you told me she was to bring him back but this..."

Tsunade sighed. "Sakura has a unique way to get around seductions, but she also knows that this was probably the easiest and least risky option to get him here." She closed her honey brown eyes and wished she had a glass of sake nearby. "Gather as many of the chunin and jounin as you can, particularly the Rookie Nine." Jiraiya nodded and disappeared.

When we reached my apartment, I quickly unlocked the door and dropped my bag in the entrance before turning to leave again. "Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

"My place isn't big enough for two," I said as I kept walking. "I'm taking you to your place."

He looked at me in puzzlement but followed me nonetheless. We raced across the rooftops to his old apartment and with a quick seal, I unlocked the door and held it open for him. He walked in and looked around. I knew that Tsunade had made sure that the house had been left as it was while assigning genin teams to clean it while I was on my retrieval mission. The dawn's light was filtering into the main living area through the balcony and our eyes quickly adjusted. "You kept it clean," he murmured quietly.

"Tsunade had it cleaned," I corrected as he pulled me into a hug before he kissed me. "Thought you could use somewhere familiar to come home to."

"Thank you," he murmured in reverence before kissing me more passionately. I caught his mood and realized that he had dropped his guard completely. I smiled as he lead me into his room and he laid down on the bed. He held out his hand and with a smile, I allowed him to pull me onto the bed where he kissed me hungrily. We kissed for a while and stripped each other down to our underwear. When his passion was slated, he simply held me to him. With a smile and quick kiss, I left the room in the guise of getting water and created a clone. Nodding at her, she walked back into the room where I knew that Sasuke would be waiting to have sex again.

With a few quick seals, I teleported back to my apartment and shivered as the cool air kissed my bare skin. Walking into my bathroom, I took a quick shower and dried off before heading to bed. Without bothering to put on clothes, I crawled into my bed and relished the softness. With a quick hand sign, I felt my traps activate and settled in for a well deserved night's rest.

* * *

"Sakura!"a voice yelled excitedly behind me as I opened the door to Tsunade's office. I turned around just in time to see Tenten attack me with a hug. I laughed and hugged her back. "Oh it is so good to see you," she squealed.

"Good to see you too, Tenten," I laughed as I released her. I stepped into the room and saw almost everyone that I knew in Tsunade's office. Shino, Choji, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, Hinata, Ino, and of course, Naruto. Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai stood off to the side simply watching us interact with each other. Each of them smiled at me and I felt the walls around my heart ease a little bit. Everyone in this room was my friend and some were my family. This was why I had risked my life every time I took a mission.

"Come in, Sakura," Tsunade-shishou said as I walked further into the room. Jiraiya and Shizune flanked Tsunade and both smiled at me as I walked in. "I called all of you here to tell you all the news first before the rest of the village finds out." Everyone focused on Tsunade, their expressions ranging from worry to suspicion. "Sakura has spent the last few months on an ANBU mission and the results of the mission were successful. However, one of the consequences of that mission was the return of Uchiha Sasuke, who has asked for Sakura's hand in marriage."

The room erupted. Everyone was yelling and arguing but the reaction that worried me the most was Naruto's reaction. He stood there quietly, staring at me with hurt in his eyes. I stared at him and gave an almost undetectable shake of my head. His eyes guarded and he nodded. He knew me better than any other in this room. After coming back from training with Jiraiya, he and I had a massive fight before becoming very close. He knew how I felt about Sasuke almost as much as Tsunade-shishou did, and he knew that I was never going to let Sasuke back into my heart. I had no doubt that he would catch me later and want the entire story. Or the glosses over version at the very least.

With a growl, Tsunade called the room back to order. "We do not have to like it but that is the current situation. You will be seeing Sasuke around the village and I do not want a scene otherwise I will deal with you personally."

I saw Naruto tense and I sighed. "He is outside now if you want to see him, Tsunade-sama," I stated flatly.

I saw Naruto flinch and his brilliant blue eyes flicker red before he launched himself at the door. Flickering, I stood between him and the door but I couldn't stop Naruto from flying into me and slamming us both into the door. Naruto quickly stood and tried for the door again, only to have me stop him by wrapping my arm around his neck and letting him feel the coiling of chakra in my body. "Walk away," I murmured in his ear. "Don't let what you have worked so hard for be ruined." I knew that at some point the Kyuubi would try and take advantage of his hurt and anger towards Sasuke, but I also knew that Naruto had worked very hard over the last few years to control the beast.

His body was still tense but he stopped struggling as he reigned in the Kyuubi. "Jiraiya," he muttered softly. With a nod, his sensei was beside him and they were teleporting from the tower. Tsunade watched quietly as sighed as they left. "Go get him, Sakura," she ordered.

Nodding, I left the room and walked down the hall. Sasuke stood from where he had been lounging against the wall. "Tsunade wants to see you," I told him before leading him towards her office, rolling my shoulder in the process to keep it from stiffening from where Naruto knocked me into the door. "There are others there," I warned him as we reached her door. He nodded and I opened the door letting him walk through first. The room was silent and I could feel the tension building in the room.

"It has been a long time, Sasuke," Kakashi said, breaking the silence.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

No one else said anything and the tension continued to build in the room until it was stifling. _They are such babies_ , I thought to myself. "Guys, its only Sasuke," I said in false brightness. "I know a lot has happened but he is still the same person that we grew up with." _Right; lets just forget the last four years ever happened_ , my inner grumbled.

"Sakura is correct," Lee proclaimed loudly. "I am glad to see you are safe, Sasuke."

"Yeah," Shikamaru grumbled. "Sakura was a pain when you left."

"Thanks, Shikamaru," I growled as I glared at him. Shikamaru shrugged as he yawned.

"You did kinda go crazy with the training after Sasuke left," Kiba muttered.

I bit back my remark that I was actually ANBU and shook my head in exasperation. This was not what I was hoping to have happen but I supposed it was better than them all attacking Sasuke. "Sasuke," Tsunade called, gaining the room's attention again. "You are on probation for the time being. You will have your chakra bound and will wait for a hearing to decide what your future will be in this village." Sasuke nodded and held his arms out for Shizune to place a chakra seal on them. "Now, I have paperwork to do. Dismissed."

With a quick good bye to everyone, Sasuke and I left. We walked in silence to his apartment, ignoring the stares and whispers of the people as we passed them. When we reached his apartment, we sat on the sofa quietly and I waited for him to say what was on his mind. I could tell that the meeting had shaken him a little and knew that he needed to talk. "They were all so forgiving," he finally murmured as he looked at his hands. "I don't deserve it."

"What you have done is minor compared to what others have done," I told him. I had seen worse criminals in my time with ANBU, the ones that made nightmares. "And you are the last of your clan. Tsunade knows that the Uchiha clan needs to be rebuilt to keep the power of the Leaf safe."

"That doesn't change the fact that I did what I did," he told me. "I am not worth forgiveness."

I rolled my eyes. "Self loathing does not become you," I told him matter of factually. "You have a second chance. You can do good this time."

He looked up at me and pulled me into his arms, holding me close. "You are so loving and caring," he murmured into my hair. "Sometimes I can't stand it."

I shrugged. "But you love me anyway," I told him, hoping to ease the tension. I didn't like playing that card but I knew it would distract him and that was my goal.

He nodded. "Will you stay again tonight?"

"Of course," I told him and sighed inwardly, thankfully his chakra didn't hold the hungry edge that it had last night.

"Good," he said, standing. "Now I think it is time that we get you to bed. You need sleep." I glared at him much to his amusement and stood. _And the Uchiha arrogance returns_ , I thought as we walked into the bedroom. I walked into the attached bathroom and closed the door before changing into the pajamas my clone had left here that morning. Once changed, I brushed my teeth and brushed my hair before returning to the bedroom. Sasuke was laying on the bed and lifted the covers in invitation for me to join him. Smiling, I crawled into the bed and laid down on my side, facing away from him. I felt him curl up behind me and his arm wrap around my waist. "Good night love," he whispered. I feigned sleep and didn't reply. I listened to him fall asleep behind me, listened as his breathing steadied and evened, felt his body relax against mine. Sighing, I relaxed and shut my brain off. Tomorrow would be soon enough to begin thinking about how I would handle this situation.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was just beginning to rise and Sasuke was still asleep. He looked so peaceful as he slept and I knew that it was because his subconscious was remembering happy memories. I silently got up and dressed for the day. Once dressed, I glanced around and decided to catch up with Lee for a morning spar so that I wouldn't wake Sasuke up. I really needed a break from his presence. Writing a quick note, I left the apartment and ran towards the training ground I knew Lee frequented in the morning. I smiled when Lee saw me approach and he stopped doing pushups. "Good morning, Sakura," he beamed happily. "Are you hear for a spar?"

I nodded. "If you have the time," I told him. When Sasuke had left the first time and after I had picked up the pieces, Lee had offered to help in my training of taijutsu. We met almost every day, so long as neither of us were on a mission, to spar. It was with his help that I was able to expand my skills without chakra, and I had really struggled in the beginning.

"Of course, Sakura-san," He exclaimed and gave me his signature thumbs up. "Shall we spar without weights this morning?"

I let an eager smile spread across my face. "Why not," I told him. "I don't have mine with me anyway." With another smile, he settled into defensive stance and waited for me to copy him. Sinking into my own stance, I waited for him to move, ready for anything he did. A breeze stirred the morning air, swirling leaves around us. One fluttered between us and we both watched as it fell to the ground. The second it touched the ground, we launched ourselves at each other and began our spar.

Block. Evade. Twist. Jab. Block. Spin. Kick. The repetitive movements of strikes and counter strikes, guards and blocks, moves and counter moves, was comforting to me. Lee was a master at taijutsu and I relished challenging him. I knew that I was good but there was something about taking on a master and being able to stand your ground that was exhilarating. With each combination that I was able to complete and every strike that I landed, I felt the tension in my body ease and the storm of thoughts in my mind calm. Finally, with a quick twist and strike, both Lee and I had a hand at each other's throat. We stood there panting for a moment before backing away a step. "A draw," I stated as I caught my breath.

"Well done, Sakura-san," Lee smiled. "You have improved greatly."

I was about to reply when another voice called out. "Are you two done?"

I bit back my annoyance and turned to look at Sasuke. "Yes," I told him. "Unless you would like a round." He shook his head and I looked at the sky. "Thank you for the spar, Lee-san," I said with a bow. "I believe that it is time for breakfast."

"An excellent idea, Sakura-san," Lee said. "I will continue with my training."

I smiled and nodded before walking away with Sasuke. "Where would you like to eat?" I asked him as we cleared the training ground gates. He glanced at me before walking slightly ahead of me. Sighing, I followed him and wondered how I would exactly end this engagement. The longer that it went on the harder it would be and the more my patience would run thin. Sighing, I put the problem to the back of my mind to let my inner and subconscious tackle it while I focused on the tasks that I needed to get done today.

A few hours later, we were walking to his apartment, having spent the morning shopping for things that he needed, when a voice called out to me. I turned and saw Naruto walking towards us. Pausing, I waited for him to catch up. "Hey, Naruto," I said with a smile.

He looked at me seriously. "Baa-chan wants to see you in her office now," he said solemnly.

I frowned. "What's going on?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "She said it was important and that you needed to come alone."

Sighing, I nodded and handed the few bags I had to Sasuke and, with a quick good bye to both of them, sprinted to Tsunade's office. I didn't bother worrying about Naruto trying to kill Sasuke again. He wouldn't have sought us out if he hadn't had control over the Kyuubi. I knocked on Tsunade's door and waited for her to grant me entry. "Enter," Tsunade called.

I walked in and nodded at her and Jiraiya. "You asked for me," I said as I stepped up to her desk.

Tsunade nodded. "I have a mission for you," she said solemnly. "This is an ANBU ranked mission and only the three of us will know about it. It involves the Akatsuki."

"I may not return from such a mission," I stated, understanding what she was trying not to say.

She nodded. "We have been monitoring their progress for a while," Jiraiya stated calmly. " But we there are things that we need to know that observing will not tell us. They have gone quiet recently and that worries us."

"Your mission will be to infiltrate the Akatsuki and do whatever necessary to gather information on all members and plans," Tsunade said gravely. "If anyone finds out, you will be killed. You will be marked as a rouge shinobi and a price will be set on your head to aid your cover. You will report to me via a summons and no other means of communication will take place. Do you accept this mission?"

I steeled myself and stood tall. I knew that she would not ask this unless she had no other option. The whispers that I had heard of the Akatsuki had been the things of nightmare and I worried about their plans. I needed to protect Naruto and others like him. "I accept, Tsunade-sama," I told her with a bow.

Tsunade nodded, though her eyes were sad. "Stay with Jiraiya and he will fill you in on what we know about them. You will leave at midnight."

Without a word, I followed Jiraiya to an empty office and masked my chakra, no one needed to know where I was. I listened to him as he filled me in on the known members of the organization, including the infamous Uchiha Itachi. A sense of foreboding filled me at the name. Uchiha Itachi was a genius and prodigy, a master of the sharingan. Deceiving him was not going to be as easy as deceiving Sasuke was not to mention the other S-classed member that created the organization.

Hours later, I teleported to my apartment and packed my things into a storage scroll, which I left for Tsunade to find. I would not need them until I returned, if I ever did. Finally, I prepared to leave the village. I made a quick stop at Sasuke's apartment, leaving the engagement ring that he had given me on his nightstand. I felt a part of me ease at the knowledge that I didn't have to pretend with him anymore. Leaving Sasuke's apartment, I made one last stop by Naruto's apartment. I glanced at his sleeping figure as I left him a note explaining things in code on his nightstand. There were few things that I could keep from Naruto, the nature of my mission was one thing, the fact that I was on a mission was not. Quietly leaving his apartment, I left the village by the light of the waning crescent moon. Jiraiya had mentioned that the Akatsuki kept an eye on River country so I headed in that direction. One question lingered in my mind as I vanished into the forest: would I ever return?

* * *

 **A/N: And there is another chapter. A little shorter than the others but I think this is a good place to leave you all wondering. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow. Two chapters in a week. This is what happens when I have time on my hands and can't focus enough to study for Exams. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Also a warning, beginning in this chapter, I will be switching between Sakura's perspective and other perspectives (mainly Itachi's) as I think that it rounds out the story more. Please let me know what you think.**

* * *

Chapter 4

I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I faintly registered masked chakras. If they were Akatsuki scouts, then I would be here for a while until the actual members decided what to do about me entering their territory. I headed in the direction of a familiar battlefield before dropping down to the floor of the destroyed cave. I looked around at the degrading puppet parts that littered the cave, taking in the stains of dried poison, and walked over to the trio of puppets that lay crumpled on the ground in an eternal embrace. I didn't feel any remorse at killing Sasori, but I felt sorry for the parent-less child that he once was.

Shaking my head, I shoved those feelings into a box in the back of my mind and looked around for some rocks that would make a decent shelter until the Akatsuki made contact with me. Finding one cluster of rocks along the cave's outer rim that would work, I dropped my bag and settled down. I let my battle with Sasori run through my mind as I looked around the cave. The memory that had the biggest imprint in my mind was when Sasori had stabbed me through the abdomen. I glanced at the spot of the cave where it had happened and I could almost see the ghostly image of it happening before me. My belly twisted in remembered pain and, again, I shook my head to clear it. That single moment had almost cost me my life. If it had not been for Chiyo-sama, I probably would have died that day.

The sound of thunder pulled me out of my thoughts and made me look up at the sky. Steal gray clouds blocked the sun and the trees outside the cave's shattered roof shook with the force of the wind. Lightning crackled across the sky in a blinding flash, paining the world in vivid color for a fraction of a second before disappearing again. I moved further into my temporary shelter and waited as the rain began to fall.

* * *

"Isn't that the girl that killed Sasori?" Kisame asked his silent partner.

Itachi nodded and watched the pink haired kunoichi as she sat huddled on the edge of the cave. He kept tabs on his brother and knew who his teammates had once been. The Haruno Sakura before him was not the girl that he had heard of nor was she the girl that he had run across before Sasori was killed. True, she had sparked an interest in him when he had learned that it was she that had killed Sasori, granted not alone, but it seemed as if there was more to her than initially seen. That... curiosity had not lessened but had not been prominent in his thoughts until now. He glanced at Kisame and raised a brow.

"Yes I let the others know," Kisame sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Pain said to standby."

Itachi looked back at the kunoichi and let his sharingan skim over her, registering her chakra levels, and his mind began to decipher her strengths and weaknesses. With Sasori dead, Pain had requested that Orochimaru come back into the fold and Orochimaru had accepted the invitation. That snake wanted his brother's body and Itachi would not stand for any harm to come to Sasuke. He couldn't protect Sasuke before but he would now, just like he always had from the shadows.

"I hope they are not too long," Kisame grumbled as he settled against a tree.

Itachi ignored him and narrowed his eyes as Sakura moved from her shelter and walked towards the middle of the destroyed cave with her pack. She bit her thumb and preformed a summoning jutsu, which was not unusual as he had heard that she had taken after her sensei and signed a contract with slugs. But it was not a slug that appeared. A large ruby red dragon appeared before Sakura, who seemed to be talking to the beast, and curled around her as she laid down next to it. The dragon lifted its wing and covered them from the rain, using its huge body as a shelter.

Kisame stepped forward at the appearance of the beast. "I didn't think dragons existed anymore," he muttered seriously.

Itachi spared him a glance before turning back to look at the dragon. Its long body was not like that of snake's, though it did have a long neck; but was larger with a definite torso before its long tail wrapped around to its neck. He could see clearly the forelegs with their sharp talons and the musculature of powerful hind legs. No dragons had not been present in the world for thousands of years, so long that they had been regulated to myths. The fact that Haruno Sakura could summon one meant she had discovered where the beasts had been hiding. His eyes narrowed again. No Sakura was not who he was lead to believe she was, so either he had been lied to, which he highly doubted, or she had been hiding this all along. _What else is she hiding,_ he wondered as he felt his curiosity to grow. "I'll take watch," he finally told Kisame as he continued to study the dragon. Kisame looked at him curiously but did not comment as he settled at the base of the tree. As he fell asleep, Itachi watched and waited, eager to learn what it was that Haruno Sakura was hiding.

* * *

I woke up to Fudo growling in my ear. Sitting up, I stretched and patted his snout. "What is it?" I asked in my thoughts. The dragon's and I had a special bound that did not require us to use actual speech to communicate. We could use our thoughts, impressions, and feelings instead.

"One of them is watching us with an intensity that I do not like," Fudo replied as he continued to growl, the low vibration spreading to the ground and running up my hand on his nose. "Others are quickly approaching as well."

"How many?" I asked as I stretched my senses to their limit, but even my limit was nothing compared to a dragon's. I could only sense two.

"Last night there were two," Fudo stated. "Eight more approach now."

Ten members in total. Jiraiya was correct in his estimate of main member numbers. "Wonderful," I sighed as I stood beneath his wing.

"One of the two from last night has the cursed sharingan."

"Uchiha Itachi," I told him, cursing my luck. "A rouge from Konoha. He killed his entire clan save for Sasuke. I had hoped to avoid him until I had a few members on my side to keep my cover intact."

I felt my shoulder begin to burn and hissed quietly as I grabbed it. "What is it?" Fudo asked as he watched me with one large ruby eye.

"Something that has not bothered me for years," I told him as I pulled my collar down enough to reveal the shadow of a curse mark.

Fudo narrowed his eyes. "When did you get that?"

"A few years ago," I told him as I let my shirt hide the mark again. "It has been a long time, Fudo. During the Chunin exams, Orochimaru intended to give this mark to Sasuke. But somehow while both he and Naruto were out of it, I took half the mark while I was attempting to heal Sasuke."

Fudo nudged me with his snout. "I am sorry, little one. You should have called on us."

I shrugged. "I couldn't risk it besides, I have control of it."

Fudo looked as if he was about to add something but suddenly growled and leapt at something. I had a kunai in my hand the second one appeared at my neck and an arm wrapped around me to pin my arms. _So stupid_ , I thought to myself as Fudo growled and leapt towards me, his prior prey forgotten as I was put in danger. He was quickly surrounded by armed men in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Akatsuki.

"My dear," a familiar voice hummed in my ear. "Do call him off before we hurt such a magnificent creature."

"Allow me to move," I ordered in irritation. Calling off a dragon when its hatchling was in danger was like trying to prevent natural disasters, impossible. Fudo would fight until I was safe.

"Sorry," Orochimaru said as he pressed the kunai closer to my throat. "That is not an option."

Fudo roared as someone got lucky with a well aimed kunai to the chest. He lashed out with his talons and struck a cloaked figure with his claws, throwing the man to the ground. I felt a sympathetic pain lash though me and I bit back a curse at Orochimaru. "Fine," I growled. "A compromise then. Keep the kunai to my throat but let me heal him."

"Fair enough," Orochimaru hummed too closely to my ear for comfort. "Now call him off."

"Fudo!" I called as I eased closer to him, praying he would hear me though his rage. Fudo paused and glanced at me. "Enough," I said calmly.

He stepped forward and lowered his head so that he was staring at me, his eyes full of anger that bordered on hate, and I could feel his hot breath surrounding me. "Why?" he growled in my thoughts. "They attacked first."

"We suspected that they would," I told him aloud as I kept my thoughts calm.

Fudo growled and relented. "I don't like it," he hissed as a few members moved in closer to him.

"Allow me to heal you," I told him, ignoring his last statement. "I'll need you to stand still."

Fudo nodded and lifted his head to allow me to walk under him to his chest. The kunai was deeply embedded so that only the hilt was sticking out. Rich red blood seeped from the edges of the would and I knew that pulling it out would be difficult to do if Fudo moved at all. "I suggest you move back," I told Orochimaru.

"I will not," Orochimaru said pleasantly. "But the others will." With a quick signal, the other members backed off.

I silently hoped that Orochimaru would move slowly so that Fudo may strike him as I gripped the kunai with one hand and placed my other on Fudo's warm scales. I gathered my chakra in my hand on his chest and slowly let it surround the wound before pulling the kunai out, sealing the wound, and jumping out of the way as Fudo let out a roar and swiped across his chest with his talons out of instinct. "I thought you said you would hold still," I joked with Fudo in my thoughts as I tried to distract him from the pain.

Fudo growled but settled and let me finish healing the wound before nudging me with his head in thanks. "Now," Orochimaru said as he tapped the kunai against my throat in a reminder. "If you would heal Itachi-kun." Stiffening, I let Orochimaru lead me to the fallen Akatsuki whom the others had gathered around. Once I entered the ring of members, Orochimaru withdrew the kunai from my throat, very stupidly assuming that because I was surrounded I couldn't get away.

There was an ever widening pool of blood around Itachi from the wound that stretched from his right shoulder to the bottom of his left rib cage. I knelt down next to him and let chakra flow to my fingertips and then into his body to check his vitals. An uneasy attraction struck me as I glanced into his blood red eyes. "This will hurt," I told him as I let my chakra seep into his skin. He didn't move nor flinch but I could see the slight crinkling on the corner of his eyes. The damage was extensive; his ribs were shattered and his right lung was torn open preventing him from breathing. I focused in on stimulating the tissues to regenerate and bind together and patching the bone back into it original form. With the last of the damage healed, I pulled my hands back and helped him up. His eyes burned at me as he stood, the light in his eyes like that of an interrogator that knew he was going to get his way. Blinking I turned as a tall figure stepped forward.

He was taller than me, possibly around Naruto's height, with orange hair and gray ringed eyes. He had six nose piercings, two lip piercings, and multiple ear piercings. "Who are you and what is your purpose?" he asked in a cool voice.

"My name is Haruno Sakura from the Hidden Leaf," I said evenly. "I am looking to join you. If you are interested."

He looked at Itachi. "You know her?" he asked.

Itachi looked at me and nodded. "Anyone else?

Orochimaru smiled evilly. "She was with me until a few days ago," he said with a smirk. "One night she and Sasuke vanished. I don't know what happened to Sasuke. She was probably working for Tsunade."

I glared at him. "I owed her a favor. Nothing more," I lied.

The orange hair man stared at me with an unnerving look. He looked like he was trying to look into my soul and see what I was trying to hide from him. I held his gaze with my own steely one, determined not to show weakness. Finally, he nodded. "You will have to be assessed before we allow you in. You will fight Itachi."

I bit back a curse but nodded. Wonderful, fighting one of the most brilliant shinobi to come from Konoha from the very beginning. _Why couldn't they have me fight Orochimaru_ , I wondered. I'd be more than happy to take him down. Fudo laughed in my mind but retreated to the edge of the cave. I glared at his amusement. The Akatsuki moved to stand warily beside Fudo while Itachi faced me. We watched each other, his face a blank mask that gave nothing away. Then, without notice, he ran towards me with a speed that I could barely match, engaging me in taijutsu. His combinations were flawless and precise and all I could do was block them with stinging knuckles. Then a slight glimmer forced me to flicker our of his reach as he followed through his strike with the kunai. I knew that he would follow me and had a kunai in my hand, ready to block his. Finally, I got an opening and I slipped in and kicked him in the ribs. I felt one crack under the force and I briefly celebrated actually landing a hit on him. Unfortunately, that brief distraction gave him the opportunity to grab my leg and throw me across the cave into the stone wall.

I cursed quietly and pushed myself up. Itachi watched me and though his expression hadn't changed, he somehow portrayed amusement. I smirked and closed my eyes. I could feel the weight of his stare and I tried to ignore the part of me that was happy he took me seriously. Launching myself forward, I opened my eyes and caught the brief flash of astonishment on his face before his eyes narrowed and his tomoe began to spin rapidly. The world was crystal clear and bright, not a single detail was missed as I flickered behind Itachi. I felt Fudo's concern but pushed it aside as I launched a tricky taijutsu combination at Itachi. He dodged and blocked but I could tell that he was using more focus now. I watched his crimson eyes, unafraid of them, and saw a hunger in them begin to form that made a part of me melt. Glaring at him, I pushed more chakra into my strikes and began to push into my ANBU training and skills.

We fought for what could have been hours before a sharp pain in my shoulder caused me to wince and open my guard to Itachi, who took full advantage. With a few well place jabs, he had me off balance and stumbling. With a final roundhouse kick, he launched me through the air where I met the ground heavily. I felt the chakra draining rapidly from my reserves as my body tried to counteract the mark as I tried to push my body up. "Fudo," I called in my thoughts as the world began to fade to black.

Itachi watched as Sakura tried to shove herself up and fell back to the ground. She had more tricks up her sleeve than the initially thought. He watched as her chakra levels dropped rapidly and was curious as to the cause. She was a brilliant fighter. He felt a deep hunger as he took stock of the number of bruises and the cracked rib that she had left on his body. She could keep up with him. He had felt a sharp predatory hunger when she cracked that rib and his curiosity had grown when she charged at him with glowing red eyes.

He watched as the red dragon leapt towards her body and carefully picked her up in his talons. With a nod from Pain, Itachi stepped forward and approached the dragon. "I will lead you to the base," he informed the dragon. The beast looked at him with piercing eyes. Itachi almost felt nervous but he refused to back down from the dragon.

"It will be much faster if you flew with me," the dragon said in a deep rumble that reminded Itachi of a muted roar of a fire.

Itachi nodded and leapt up the dragon's leg to settle at the base of it's neck between its massive shoulder blades and wings. With a powerful leap, the dragon launched them into the air and smoothly glided into the sky; following Itachi's directions as they went.

* * *

When my senses returned to me, I registered a dull throbbing on my shoulder and the feeling of near by chakra. My eyes snapped open as I instinctively lashed out to hit the person watching over me. My fist was caught and held in a firm grip as my eyes focused on Itachi setting a book down on a nightstand from where he was sitting next to my bed. "You need to rest," he murmured matter of factually as he let my hand go as I released my chakra.

I watched him warily as I sat up calling for Fudo. "I am sorry," Fudo apologized as his shadow blocked out the light coming in from the window. "I tried to keep him out but I obviously couldn't physically stop him."

"Its fine," I told him in my thoughts. "I am surprised you let me go. He knows?"

Fudo sighed in irritation. "He knows," Fudo confirmed as I glared at Itachi.

Itachi lifted a perfect eyebrow at my glare. "Where am I?" I asked him in irritation.

"The Akatsuki compound," he replied in a monotone that somehow wasn't a monotone. "This will be your room for your probation." I nodded my thanks as he stood. "I shall let the others know that you are awake."

I watched him as he glided across the room, his hair, which I grudging accepted as being beautiful, swaying gracefully as he moved. He paused at the door and glanced back at me, catching my stare. He purposely let his gaze slide down my body and back up, a strange light coming into his eyes as he met my stair again. Finally, without a word, he left the room and closed the door behind him. Shaking my head, I stood and walked over to my pack to get dressed. I shoved my inner to the back of my mind as she was beginning to contemplate exactly why Uchiha Itachi had checked me out. I needed food before considering those thoughts.

Fudo chuckled as he observed my internal debate. "This will be interesting," he stated cryptically in amusement. I looked at him through the window and raised an eyebrow wondering what he meant. His ruby eye sparkled but he remained silent, leaving me to ponder the reason to his statement. Shaking my head, I continued to get dressed. I really needed food at this rate.

A few minutes later, I found everyone in the dining room eating lunch. The buzz of conversation fell silent as I entered and looked for food.

"What happened, Sakura?" Orochimaru asked sarcastically. "Take one too many hits?"

"No," I bit out in irritation. I really needed food to restore my chakra levels before I entertained Orochimaru's taunts with my own cutting remarks.

"Food is through there," Konan said pointing to a doorway across the room." I was glad that Fudo had caught the members' names and was giving me their description as I went.

I nodded my thanks and walked into the kitchen, where plates of rice, fish, and vegetables were laid out on a counter. I quickly made a plate and walked back into the dining room where I sat down in front of Kisame. The conversation picked back up as I began eating and watching. They were discussing their next plans. "Itachi," Pain said quietly but with authority. "You and Sakura will search for a Jinchuuriki as will Orochimaru and Kisame. We will meet back here in a few weeks time to discuss the results. Contact me should you capture one."

Itachi nodded and returned to eating his food rather... artfully. Shaking my head, I quickly finished my food and stood. A few members glanced at me but most were engaged in their conversations. Walking back down the hall, I used Fudo's chakra to guide me outside. Finding the entrance, I opened the door to a large garden. There was a wall off in the distance but other than that, it was incredibly peaceful. Paths crossed the area, weaving between flower beds, cherry trees, and around a huge pond. Fudo was curled up beside a cherry tree in full bloom, the delicate pink blossoms contrasting with his shimmering red scales.

Smiling as I walked over to him, I settled beside him and leaned against his warm side. "What is it?" he asked in my thoughts.

"Nothing," I told him as I gazed out over the pond.

"I can tell when you are lying, Sakura," he laughed.

"What is your point again?" I asked innocently.

"Talk to me," he murmured as he placed his head beside me, the tip of his snout resting against my leg.

"This is going to be a risky mission," I told him as I let my memories slide into his mind. "Running into anyone from the Leaf will be a challenge. Hunting Naruto will be even more difficult."

"You will know what to do when you are faced with the situation," he reminded me. "It seems this mission is to protect your dear ones."

"It is." I gazed at the pond as a petal landed on its surface causing small ripples to disturb the calm water.

After a few minutes of silence, Fudo nudged me. "Go for a swim," he said.

"I can't," I told him. "I highly doubt they would let me. Though it would be nice."

"Go," he laughed. "I will make sure that they do not care."

Shaking my head, I stood and walked towards the door. "I can never win against you can I?" I asked in amusement. Fudo laughed and did not reply. I quickly walked to my room and changed into a swimsuit. Shaking my head, I climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground a few yards from the edge of the pond. A quick scan with chakra showed that no one was around as I dashed across the garden to Fudo's side. "How deep is it?"

"Maybe ten feet deep," Fudo estimated as he peered into the water with narrowed eyes. Smiling I leapt into the warm water and let the water surround me, muting the outside world.

Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, and Tobi walked down the path in the garden, enjoying the sunset. With a glance around Kisame noticed a few ripples in the pond and steered the group towards the water. "What the.." Kisame started as they rounded a corner in the path and came into full view of the pond.

Tobi jumped ahead of them and squealed. "She's naked!" he exclaimed.

Itachi raised a brow at Tobi's exclamation and walked up to join him with the others as they heard a laugh. He knew that Tobi was probably exaggerating like he always did. He and the others watched as Sakura, dressed in a swimsuit, climbed the dragon's lifted neck and then dived into the water without making a splash. She surfaced with a giggle and froze when she spotted them. The dragon followed her gaze and growled at them.

"We were just wondering what was going on," Kisame said smoothly as he held his hands up to the dragon.

The dragon growled again and tensed. "Fudo, knock it off," Sakura commanded. "I'm getting out anyway."

Hmm, Itachi thought. So the dragon's name was Fudo. He didn't act like any normal summons and Itachi tucked that fact away for later analysis as he watched Sakura pull herself out of the pond. She had a lovely hourglass figure and slim waist. Her long elegant limbs were toned and firm, proving how hard she trained. Her pink hear clung to her skin and shoulders. Itachi bit back his appreciation of her form and studied the secrets that it revealed. She the firm muscles and efficient way she moved bespoke of more training than his sources had let on. He was curious to know what that training was. Regardless, he couldn't help but watch the way her hips swayed as she walked. He wanted to know why she sparked this reaction in him, why she had captured his curiosity. He let a smirk curl his lips as she walked away. He never failed at studying what caught his curiosity, and studying Sakura was beginning to seem like something that was going to be worth the effort.

I dried off in my room with just a little embarrassment for letting my guard down. I really did know better. "I'm so stupid," I muttered to myself.

"I don't like them," Fudo growled, angry at the entire issue. I smiled as he reminded me of Kakashi and Naruto, both of whom were very protective of me despite knowing I could take care of myself.

"And I do?" I asked Fudo as I pulled on my pajamas.

I felt Fudo's glare as I grabbed a kunai and pulled the covers back on the bed. I wasn't going to mention my wonder at seeing Itachi's heated look. "Night," I said to Fudo as I crawled into bed and placed the kunai under my pillow.

He sighed. "Good night, little one," he murmured.

I pushed the thoughts of Itachi's heated look and thoughts of hunting Jinchuuriki to the back of my mind. I would think about them tomorrow.

* * *

My instincts kicked in before I was fully conscious. Sensing that someone was too close for comfort. I flung my kunai from under my pillow towards the chakra that I was sensing. I heard the dull thud of the kunai imbedding itself into wood as I actually woke up and looked towards the door. Itachi stood in the doorway, the kunai deeply imbedded in the frame an inch to his right. "So close," Fudo grumbled in my thoughts. "Just one inch and you would have killed him."

"And that would help me how exactly?" I asked sarcastically. I sat up as Itachi retrieved the kunai and approached my bed.

"Fair aim," he said as I took the kunai. "Though next time, don't miss." I glared at him as I stretched.

Itachi watched as the lean muscles in Sakura's body extended and flexed as she stretched. All she wore was a black tank top and shorts and he approved of her choice in color. Her aim with the kunai had been perfectly accurate and it had been his last second dodge that had caused her blade to miss. Had he not had such reflexes, he would have been killed. She reclaimed his attention as she stood and glanced out the window at her dragon. Her eyes glazed over slightly and he could almost see the conversation between them. Yet another secret that she had revealed and he was eager for the next.

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn. "And why are you here?"

"It is nearing dawn," Itachi replied simply. "I came to wake you so that we may begin our mission early."

I glared at him. I _hated_ mornings, particularly early mornings. Not to mention that back to back ANBU missions didn't allow for sleep and I was running on minimal hours of sleep. "Is walking mandatory or may we fly?"

"It does not matter so long as we achieve the mission," he replied as he leaned against side of the bed with his arms crossed. The gleam in his eye making me feel like prey.

I glared at him again. "I am not prey, Itachi-san," I growled at him. "Do not treat me as such."

His gaze sharpened and he looked almost amused though he hadn't moved a muscle. "Why not?" he baited, his tone smooth and deep.

"Because people who do, quickly find out how wrong they were. Painfully," I hissed at him as I clenched my fists.

His eyes flickered down to my fists before meeting my gaze. His gaze was hot and there was something about it that bothered me that I couldn't put my finger on. "May I speak with you privately?" he asked.

I glanced at Fudo, who nodded and disappeared. Once Fudo was out of hearing range and distracted, I nodded at Itachi. "What do you want?" I asked him as I crossed my arms, kunai still lightly gripped in my hand.

"I will need your sizes to get you a cloak," he said as he glided forward.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he stepped into my personal space. "Take your best guess," I said with a roll of my eyes.

He stopped a hair's breadth from me and I could feel his head seeping into my skin. I looked up at him and gripped the kunai tighter. His eyes held a warmth that I had not seen from many others. There was almost approval deep in his onyx orbs. But it was the fact that he was actually seeing me that made me tense. People only saw me when I was in battle as their opponent and trying to kill them. But even my enemy didn't have that approval that I sensed from him when I didn't back away and met his gaze. He slowly reached up and brushed some of my hair back from my face, holding a strand in between his fingers. I held his gaze as his eyes slowly bled red and his pupil split into three tomoe. I wouldn't let him intimidate me with his eyes nor would I let him treat me like prey.

Itachi watched as she met his challenge and didn't back away. He felt a sharp hunger as she challenged him to treat her as an equal and knew that some of that hunger and approval had leaked into his gaze. She had set the bar high during their fight and he couldn't remember the last time someone actually hit him with enough force to break a rib. She really was accomplished. He let his gaze travel down her body and back up. The slight glimmer of black caught his attention as his gaze rose to meet her's again. Tilting his head, he grabbed her left arm and turned it so that he could see the familiar black spiral on her upper arm. His eyes narrowed. She was ANBU.

He glanced up at her and she met his gaze, a challenge in her eyes. She no doubt knew that he himself had been in ANBU and was challenging what he thought about her being from the same organization. He kept her gaze and slowly let her arm slide from his grip. Yet another surprise from her. His hunger grew and he leaned in slowly, his eyes flickering down to her lips. He smirked as he heard her breath catch but felt more approval as she did not back away from him. He let his lips ghost over hers, a faint caress that hardly had any pressure.

I could barely think as Itachi's lips brushed over mine. His heat was all I could feel and a part of me that I had never known existed wanted more of him. Closing my eyes, I sighed and leaned into his kiss, one of my hands tangling in his hair. The silky strands seeped through my fingers like water as I gripped them and pulled him closer. I heard his sharp inhale as I kissed him in return before my back slammed into the wall.

He pressed into me and held my face between his hands. I shivered as I realized how much control he had over me by literally holding my life in his hands. His tongue traced my lip before he changed his angle and pressed for more. When I didn't open for him, he moved to my throat and pressed searing kissed down to my shoulder, nibbling as he went. I gripped his hair tighter and bared my throat to him with a moan as he focused on the junction between my shoulder and neck.

Finally, he pulled back and his sharingan had darkened from a blood red to a deep maroon from arousal. His eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger that I wanted to snap. He took a slow step back, releasing me in a way that felt like stepping from warm water, and smirked. "I shall return with your cloak," he said smoothly, his voice deep and rough. Without another glance, he turned and walked from the room.

I stared at the door, trying to process what had just happened. I knew enough about Uchiha Itachi to know that he excelled at mind games and I felt like I was in the middle of one such game. What was he playing at though, I wondered to myself. Uchiha Itachi never played just to play the game according to his reports. He played to learn something and he always got his answer. Shaking my head, I began to dress as Fudo returned. With a quick glance into my thoughts, he knew that I had been up to no good and was blocking him. "Figured it out yet?" he asked in amusement.

I turned and glared at him as I pulled my hair into a ponytail. "What are you talking about?" I growled.

I could hear the laughter in his thoughts. "You are not even curious as to that foreign part of yourself?" he baited.

Tilting my head at him, I considered what he was saying. The foreign part of myself... something about me that was new... the part of me that wanted Itachi even though I knew that he could risk my entire mission, I suddenly realized. "What are you suggesting?" I asked of him, knowing that he had caught on to my thoughts.

"It doesn't seem familiar to you at all?" he probed.

"No," I hissed as I glared at him. "Just spit it out."

Fudo laughed and said the one word that I never expected. "Mates," he laughed.

"Mates..." I murmured in confusion. I knew that dragons had mates but surely he couldn't mean... "Holy shit, Uchiha Itachi is my mate?!"

* * *

Itachi walked down the hall towards his room with a smirk on his face. She was going to be joy to learn and make his. He already relished how she challenged him as he did her and it was refreshing to have someone stand up to him instead of giving in to his every whim. Opening his door, recalled the way that she had looked after their kiss. Her skin flushed from desire, her lip swollen from his kiss, small marks at the base of her neck. Her shallow breathing as she held his stare as he backed away, realizing his control was not what it should be for him to be engaging her in such a way. He had kissed and slept with many women but none had ever caught his interest like Sakura had.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the stack of clothes that he had gathered for her and turned to glare at the person who dared to enter his room. There was really only one person stupid enough to do so. "Where have you been?" Orochimaru asked pleasantly.

Itachi just glared at the man. Orochimaru wasn't worth his time and should be killed. He had targeted Sasuke, and it was only thanks to Sakura, that Orochimaru didn't have full control of Sasuke. Itachi really needed to thank her properly for that.

"No answer?" Orochimaru cooed. "That is just like you, Itachi-kun. I want you to deliver a message to your partner, if you would."

Itachi stared at Orochimaru. "What would that be?" he asked coolly.

"Tell Sakura that she had better watch her back," Orochimaru smiled as he turned to walk out of the room. "She took something from me and I intend to return the favor."

Itachi glared at the man until he disappeared from his sight. What had it been that she had taken, he wondered as he stared at the door. He thought over everything that had been said about Sakura since she had met them yesterday. Finally, he knew that Sakura had taken Sasuke from Orochimaru. That sharp hunger lit his belly again as he realized that she had single-handedly saved his little brother from Orochimaru. He really need to show his gratitude to her for that and he would enjoy every minute of it.

A knock at my door pulled me from my racing thoughts. I opened the door to reveal the subject of those thoughts on the other side holding a stack of clothing. "Yes?" I asked, trying to portray a calm that I did not feel.

"Here are your clothes and cloak," he said holding the clothes up. Nodding, I took them from him and tried to ignore the sharp gleam in his eyes. "I also have a message."

I looked up at him, momentarily distracted from Fudo's observations. "What is it?" I asked in curiosity.

"Orochimaru said for you to watch your back," He murmured as that gleam grew. "He will exact payment for that which you took from him."

I glared at Itachi. Orochimaru wouldn't know what happened if he decided to take me on. Sasuke had been part of my team, my family, at one point and, though I did not love him in a romantic way, he was still a brother like Naruto was. "It was within my power to bring Sasuke home," I told him. "All I did was gain permission to do so."

Itachi nodded and looked like he wanted to add something but stopped himself when he noticed Fudo move in the window. "Be ready in ten minutes," he ordered. "I will be waiting for you."

Nodding, I closed the door and dressed quickly as my earlier thoughts returned. How was Itachi my mate? Why did I even have a mate? How would I complete my mission now? Glaring at Fudo for his amusement, I grabbed my pack and walked outside. Itachi stood at Fudo's side, waiting patiently for me, his cloak collar covering everything but his eyes. Nodding at him, I climbed onto Fudo's back and waited for Itachi to sit behind me. I bit back a curse as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to his solid body as Fudo stood and prepared to jump into the sky. That unfamiliar part of me relished in Itachi's touch and I studied it closely. It was warm and comforted by his presence but it was not a weak part of me. Surely, Fudo was joking. Uchiha Itachi couldn't be my mate... Could he?

* * *

 **A/N: And that concludes another chapter. Please REVIEW and let me know what you are thinking. I do not have a beta reader and from here on there will be original aspects to the story. Please let me know what you think. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter for you soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sky was a beautiful amber as the sun began to set. I sighed and settled back against Fudo as I watched Itachi out of the corner of my eye. The sun cast him in a glorious light, giving him a faint tan and shimmering in his hair. He was undeniably attractive and I couldn't help but be drawn to him. Cursing to myself, I turned and looked back at the sky, determined to ignore the part of me that longed to curl up next to Itachi. "You cannot ignore it forever," Fudo told me in amusement in my thoughts.

"I can and I will," I growled at him. Fudo laughed and wrapped the tip of his tail around my ankle before falling into expectant silence. I could feel his gaze watching me. Growling, I submitted after I couldn't take the silence any more. "How can I even have a mate?" I asked him mentally in exasperation. "I know that dragon's do but really? Me?"

Fudo sighed. "Do you know what you are?" he asked. "Do you know why Raiden brought you our summoning scroll?"

I thought back to that day. The day that I was at my absolute lowest and was surprise that a small silver dragon landed in my lap. Raiden was the smallest of the dragons, but his size was deceptive. After he cheered me up, he summoned the scroll and requested that I sign it. Little did I know how much that day would change me. "He said it was because I was special," I murmured.

Fudo sighed. "You know the creation myth that surrounds shinobi and chakra," Fudo began. "There is a part of that tale that is never told."

"What part?" I asked him as the sky turned black. A quick glance at Itachi told me that he was starring at me with a look of curiosity. I quickly glanced away. "And what does that have to do with this entire mate business?"

"When the Sage separated the Ten Tails," Fudo began. "To ensure that the beast could never be recreated, he spoke with the dragons of old. They agreed that, together, they would create a new Jinchuuriki. Each dragon gave a bond of their own chakra and the Sage gave a portion of what would be each of the nine tailed beasts to that Jinchuuriki. Once the Jinchuuriki was created, the Sage created the nine tailed beasts. The tenth Jinchuuriki, he left in the care of the dragons. We took in that Jinchuuriki and hid from the world but when he died, the Jinchuuriki was reincarnated into a newborn in some part of the world. It took years for us to find them and when we did, it was easier to act as a summons and have them sign a scroll."

"So the scroll doesn't do anything?" I asked in wonder.

"It makes summoning us easier," Fudo replied. "And it helps maintain a stronger bond between us. You have glimpsed the affects of the struggles that our Jinchuuriki goes through, which will become more prevalent now."

I suppressed a shudder as I remembered the incident that he referred to. It was shortly after Sasuke and Naruto left. I had lost total control and destroyed an entire mountain without really remembering it. It had taken all of the dragons to stop me that day. "What does all of this have to do with me having a mate?" I asked, bringing us back to topic.

"You know that dragons have mate," Fudo said in merriment. "They provide us a balance that we would not achieve otherwise. It is the same for you. You have a mate to maintain the balance within you. Our Jinchuuriki is equally capable of either great good or evil and that internal war takes its toll over their life time. To keep your sanity and maintain that balance, you have a mate. Someone who is your equal in every way, whose strengths run to your weaknesses and your strengths to theirs."

"So you are telling me that I am a Jinchuuriki AND that I have a mate?" I asked in mock outrage and honest irritation. Fudo nodded. "Damn, just hit me with it all at once," I growled before sitting upright and starring at Fudo. "Wait, this will affect how I fit into the Akatsuki doesn't it?"

Fudo tilted his head slightly. "Possibly. We do not know for sure."

Sighing, I sat back against him. "And Uchiha Itachi is my mate?"

"It would appear so. Only you would know the answer," Fudo replied. "When you find them, a part of you awakens and you begin to become in touch with your other selves."

I shook my head, signaling that I had heard enough. I watched as the stars slowly revealed themselves and looked within myself. There definitely was something there that hadn't been before. In the back of my mind, I could feel it stirring, like soft feathers brushing against my skin. It was definitely strong and fierce but at the same time I sensed a weakness. As strong as it seemed, it felt like there was a fatal flaw to the entire being; to me. I knew that I couldn't figure all of this out on my own and I laid my head back against Fudo's warm side. "Show me," I murmured quietly as I closed my eyes. I felt him begin to hum, the vibrations shivering through my body as my mind exploded into color. Quietly, I relaxed and let him show me that which I did not understand.

Itachi watched as Sakura laid against Fudo. She looked so small against his giant form as he hummed so deeply that the very ground vibrated. They were talking about something and he had the feeling that that something was him. He had seen enough of Sakura the last few days to know that she was incredibly brilliant and that, as capable as she was at destroying things, she was also as capable of healing. In fact, when they sparred the other day and she had easily punched a crater into the ground before flinging a full grown tree at him, he had felt a deep, sharp hunger within him. A hunger that urged him to possess her and make her his. He had watched over the days as her mind toyed with the plans that had gone unsaid between him and Pain before telling him of her deductions. She had been correct of course.

She was so small and seemingly fragile, but there was a strength that was hidden underneath that made him hunger to be around her. He found her company enjoyable and their few conversations pleasurable. But there was a part of him that he did not understand. Determined to know what it was, he closed his eyes and prodded it to the surface of his mind. He could not afford any weakness within himself, not when he had so much at risk. The part of himself that was new reached for Sakura in a way that was not at all rational. It wanted her with the ferocity of the dragon that lay beside her but there was something about it that seemed hesitant. For all its want of her, it wanted her to want him in the same way. It was a novel concept to Itachi, to be desired as much as he desired to know something. He had never known a person that sparked that kind of interest within him before and that intrigued his curiosity.

He opened his eyes and looked at Sakura. Her pale skin shimmered in the rising moonlight and her hair was a pale pink that almost seemed white. Her body was relaxed against Fudo as she snuggled into her cloak without conscious thought and her small feet were crossed before her. He let his gaze travel back up to her face, that deep hunger stirring as he took in her body. When his gaze reached her face, her green eyes stared at him, a flicker of hunger in those emerald depths. A part of him purred in pleasure as her gaze skimmed down his body and slowly rose to meet his gaze again and he had to bite the edge of his tongue to keep from shifting towards her and showing his hunger. He arched a brow at her in curiosity as amusement curled the edge of his lips. She met his stare boldly, not backing down from his challenge. Her gaze darkened and shifted, the hunger and something else coming to the forefront. "You feel it to, don't you?" she asked quietly, her voice barely reaching his ears.

He tilted his head in confirmation. "What is it?" he asked, his voice going smooth and deep as his arousal began to show.

Her eyes narrowed as the desire in them grew. She knew the game that he was playing at. "According to the dragons, we are mates," she stated simply thought her eyes betrayed her weariness.

 _Mates_ , Itachi wondered in startlement though it did not show on his face. He had heard of soul mates, that person that supposedly completed you, but had never given the tales any thought. A part of him purred at the thought of being tied to Sakura in such a way. She would be his, it whispered to his consciousness and he couldn't help the desire to be wrapped around her and have her wrapped around him in such a way that you could not tell where one ended and the other began. He watched her as she took in his reaction. Her body was tense, her expression guarded as she waited for his response. "Are you opposed to the idea?" he asked softly, a challenge in the slight steel of his voice.

She stood gracefully and walked towards him before pausing a few feet away. "I haven't decided yet," she told him as she continued to watch him.

Itachi smirked and slowly stood, letting his movements flow like water. Her eyes widened slightly at his easy approach, telling him of her desire as much as her shallow breaths did as he steeped so close to her that he could feel her body heat and smell her intoxicating scent. Like cherry trees full bloom in the forest, deep and warm and sensual. He lowered his head and let his lips barely graze her soft cheek as he moved to whisper in her ear. "I think that you have decided," he told her, his voice rough as he struggled to leash his desire.

She did not move, her body tense and wary. "And what have I decided?" she challenged, her words ghosting across the side of his neck, casting goosebumps along his skin.

He smirked and moved just far enough that he could see her face clearly. "I think you have already chosen me," he told her. She looked like she was about to argue and Itachi did the one thing that would prove him right. He kissed her.

I was about to ask him why he sounded so sure about a decision that I hadn't made yet when his lips pressed hungrily to mine. They were soft and warm as they brushed gently against mine. His scent of rainwater and dark forests filled me as I gasped when his tongue ran along my bottom lip. I could feel his smirk as my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders and my fingers tangled in his hair, which was even silkier than it looked. One of his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to his body while the other curled around my shoulders and his fingers twisted into the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me captive against him.

For the lack of emotions that he had shown over the last few days, his kiss portrayed everything that he never said. He was dominate as he kissed me, his lips molding mine to his, his hand keeping me at the perfect angle for him to maximize his kiss. But within the kiss, I could sense his hesitation as he nipped at my lip before delving into my mouth as I gasped in a breath of air. He wanted me. For some reason, he was attracted to me and a girl would have to be dead to not find Uchiha Itachi attractive. That new part of me leapt at Itachi and suddenly I was kissing him back, pressing my body to his as if I could merge with him. My fingernails gently scrapped his scalp as I tightened my grip in his hair provoking a growl from him as he pulled back and kissed down my neck.

A small, tiny part of my mind that could still think logically cautioned me against getting involved with an Akatsuki member but that part was quickly silenced as I opened and allowed his kiss to deepen. I moaned as his hand worked beneath my cloak and shirt to touch my bare waist. I could practically hear his smirk and, using my grip on his hair, I pulled him up and looked into his deep maroon eyes. Holding his gaze, I leaned in and bit his lower lip enough to sting before closing my eyes and kissing him like I had never kissed anyone before.

I had a single moment to relish gaining the upper hand before he moved so fast I didn't register him moving until I felt the rough bark of a tree pressed against my back. Suddenly, he was kissing me with the intensity that told me that when he chose to let his control go, it would be glorious. His hand gripped my hair tightly as he held me at the exact angle he needed to make his kiss devastating while the hand on my side slowly slide up to cup my breast. I arched against him as his thumb brushed over my nipple and moaned as he nipped at my lip. Finally, he pulled back and stared at me with a hungry gaze. I tried to catch my breath and was pleased to see that he was breathing harshly as well. "Do you still think you are undecided?" he asked in a deep voice that I could feel brushing against my skin.

I watched him as he held me against the tree, his body pressed against me in all the right ways, and slowly heard the trap click shut. He may not know what being mates meant but he wanted me on some level and had backed me into a corner with that kiss. He would know if I was lying if I told him no and I knew that by doing so, he would up the stakes. Holding his gaze, I answered. "I think you know my answer," I told him as I leaned in and brushed a kiss on the corner of his lips.

He smirked and pressed another kiss to my lips before pulling away so slowly I felt like I was stepping out of water. He only pulled away enough to let me go but not so far that I couldn't feel the heat of his body. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair back from my face and cupped my cheek. "And what exactly are mates?" he asked as his thumb brushed along my cheek bone, sending shivers down my spine.

"I am a Jinchuuriki," I told him, watching him still and his eyes narrow at my words. "For the dragons," I clarified. "Though I apparently have ties to the other tailed beasts. According to Fudo, mates are crated to help maintain balance within each other."

"And he believes that I am yours?" he clarified.

I nodded and watched him. He knew more about why the Akatsuki wanted the tailed beasts than I did and would know whether I threatened those plans or not. I instinctively reached for my holster for a kunai as he thought about what I told him. I wouldn't risk my life or the lives of others, not even for a mate. "This will complicate your stance in the Akatsuki," he murmured, his eyes lightening to crimson as he shoved down his arousal. "You will have to be very careful around the others."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You are not going to tell them?" I asked seriously.

Itachi shook his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "We all have our secrets," he murmured as a shadow flickered in his eyes.

He was hiding something but I would let him keep his secret for now. If he was my mate and we were going to go anywhere as a couple, I would not stand for secrets. "So we continue as planned?"

"Hn," he replied as he withdrew his hand. "Come. We should continue to search for the five tails," he stated as he walked toward Fudo. I shook my head and followed him. If he wanted to remain mission oriented that was fine by me. I needed to keep my mind focused on this mission. I couldn't let my heart get involved.

* * *

Itachi glanced down at Sakura as she slept against his chest as they flew towards Iwagakure. Her head rested against his shoulder, her face turned into his neck. Her hair was a faint pink that almost seemed white in the moonlight, her long lashes brushed her cheeks, and her soft lips were parted as she slept. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her closer, relishing the fell of her soft body yielding to his.

Mates, he thought. And she was a Jinchuuriki. Another surprise from her. He looked back up at the sky and let his fingers brush against her arm as he thought about her. ANBU. Jinchuuriki. His mate. She had done nothing but surprise him since he met her. Though he was still unclear what it meant to be a mate to a Jinchuuriki, he knew that he wanted her for his own. She was unlike any other woman he had met before and he craved that difference. He sensed that she still had secrets that he was unaware of but then he had his own secret. She couldn't know that he was Jiraiya's informant on the Akatsuki, even Jiraiya himself didn't know. That secret had died with the Third Hokage and he did not want to bring it up unless he had too. The fact that she was in ANBU herself made him suspect that there was more to her joining the Akatsuki than she said.

Her being a Jinchuuriki would be a problem though. Would she really be able to help seal the beasts into the statue and kill a fellow Jinchuuriki? Somehow he knew she would be able to rise to the challenge, but he would not let her endanger herself. They had not known each other very long, but they both already knew that there was a bond between them that would not be broken anytime soon. He would protect her as he protected Sasuke, but this time he did not have to hide in the shadows.

His decision made, he rested his chin on her head and allowed his body to doze as Fudo carried them closer to Iwa. Tomorrow would be soon enough to begin incorporating her into his life, and him into hers.

* * *

I shivered as the cold frozen wind blew into the cave. Itachi curled around me, trying to protect me from the cold. It had been a few months since that day when I told him about us being mates and that I was a Jinchuuriki. I was still watching Orochimaru, waiting for him to follow through with his threat, but he had been suspiciously quiet. I hadn't been able to contact Tsunade on my own and had spent a few weeks worrying about it when Itachi told me his secret. That he hadn't killed his clan for nothing, that it had been an order from the Hokage, that he regretted it everyday, and that since then he had tried to feed Jiraiya information on the Akatsuki. We had combined our efforts and I sent my reports with his, which were far more accurate than mine as I was still new and not fully trusted.

We easily found the five tails in Iwa and sealed the beast into the Gedo statue. I had surprised Itachi and the other members by leaping into the seal and releasing the beast from it's Jinchuuriki, shortening the process by two days. I had nearly given Fudo and Itachi heart attacks since I was a Jinchuuriki myself, but they understood when I asked for help hiding the Jinchuuriki. By me releasing the beast, I had saved their life. With a memory jutsu and help from Itachi, I was able to smuggle them out of the hideout and get them safely back to a secluded village in a peaceful nation.

Now we were searching for the Kyuubi but, of course, Tsunade kept sending Naruto on missions to try and keep him from the Akatsuki. A splendid plan that I would have applauded, if it hadn't landed me in the Land of Snow. Unfortunately, an exhausted Fudo had flown straight into a snow storm and we had taken refuge in this cave. I snuggled closer to Itachi. We hadn't bothered to hide our relationship from the other members, who generally accepted it. There were a few that didn't seem thrill about it but there was little they could do about it. Another gust of wind pulled me from my thoughts and I shivered again. "It's freezing," I bit out through chattering teeth as I snuggled even closer to Itachi's warm body.

Itachi laughed and wrapped his arms more securely around me as he pushed me closer to Fudo's side. We argued about who should be next to Fudo, who put out a ridiculous amount of heat since he was a dragon, but I lost when Itachi and Fudo rarely agreed that I should be warm. I tried to fight against them, but their combined stubbornness was more than I could overcome.

I kissed the hallow at the base of Itachi's throat and wrapped my leg between his. He kissed my forehead and glanced up at Fudo. "When do you think this storm will clear?" he asked knowing Fudo was more in touch to nature than we were.

Fudo shook his head and yawned, revealing sharp ivory teeth. "I plan on sleeping it out," Fudo stated as he curled around us. I smiled as he laid his head down and fell asleep the second he had settled down.

Itachi glanced down at me and his eyes heated as he worked his hands under my cloak to wrap his arms around my waist. I felt my body begin to heat at his touch as he leaned down and feathered kisses in my hair, on my temple, eyelids, and nose before he finally kissed me. I sighed into his kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck, letting desire flow through me without resistance. It was a sin to resist someone as sexy as Itachi, regardless of the fact that he always seemed to know how to make me come unglued with desire for him. I twisted one of my hands into his hair as one of his copied my movement, his short fingernails gently scraping my scalp and sending shivers down my spine. He rolled as he tilted my head at the right angle so that he was pressing me into the cave floor. The cold floor offered a contrast to how warm he was and I arched up against him as he moved to my neck, gently biting and kissing the length. When he moved up to my ear and bit the lobe, I arched against him with a moan as a spark of pleasure shot from my ear to my belly.

"Stop playing with me," I growled as I raked a hand down his back, pulling a shiver from his body.

I felt his smirk on my neck as his lips ghosted down to the junction of my shoulder and neck. "Why?" he asked in a voice that was so smooth, rough, and deep that I shivered in his hold. "This is more fun."

I growled his name and shifted, wrapping my leg around his before slipping it up around his waist, bringing us closer to each other. Chuckling, he kissed me again, more passionately this time. He licked my bottom lip and I opened to his kiss, moaning as his tongue darted in and out in a mimicry of sex. His hand on my back slid to my hip before burrowing beneath my shirt and armor. His fingers lightly grazed from my hip to my belly before sweeping up and back to the clasp of my bra, leaving a burning trail of sensitized nerves in his wake. I broke from his kiss for a breath of air and he moved back to torture my neck with more kisses, this time scattering a few down my chest as far as my shirt would let him.

Deciding that I had had enough of his seductive torture, I released my hold on his neck and unclasped his cloak. I quickly worked past his clothes and sighed when my fingers reached his bare skin. He was muscled as all shinobi were, but where most went for bulk and strength, Itachi was all lean and strong muscle. There was not an ounce of fat between his muscles and my fingertips and I gently scraped my nails down his washboard abs. Itachi growled and moved his hand from my bra clasp to my breast, cupping it and running his thumb over the nipple. I gasped and arched into him, pressing myself into his hand. He kissed me again, a dangerous edge appearing in his kiss as his desires became harder to control. I would relish snapping that control one day.

Itachi kissed Sakura as if his life depended on it. Her skin was so soft beneath his hands but he could feel the flex and pull of the muscles beneath. She got to him like no one had before and she relished torturing him as he did her. He shivered as her fingers roamed up to his shoulders and then around to his back where he felt the bite of her nails. He kissed her more deeply, relishing the moan that he elicited from her. She was so responsive to his every touch but then she was in no way entirely submissive to him. She was his equal, evoking gasps from him as she teased him by caressing his chest and stomach with a touch so light that he hungered for more.

He pressed her further into the floor and gently tightened his grip on her breast. She moaned as his thumb and forefinger gently worked her nipple and he slowly settled between her legs, letting himself settle against her. She arched against him at the feel of his desire and he smirked into their kiss. While she was he equal and met all of his challenges, she was not as experienced as he was in sex. But he would relish teaching her what he knew. He slowly rocked against her causing her to gasp and pull back from their kiss. He ducked his head and scattered kissed along her upper chest, wishing that her shit was not in the way. He loved making her squirm against him and longed to feel her skin against his. He rocked against her again and kissed her pulse before sucking gently, about to up the ante of their kiss when she spoke, stopping him in his tracks.

"Stop Itachi," I gasped when he rolled his hips sinfully against me, beginning to create a passion in me that I had not felt before. I withdrew my hands from beneath his shirt and rested them on his chest.

He looked up at me, his sharingan a deep and hungry maroon, and watched. His jaw clenched and his entire body was tense as he held back his desires. Slowly, he removed his hand and redid my bra clasp before taking his hands from under my shirt. His eyes slowly faded back to black. "Why do you always stop?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his tone as he watched me with unwavering eyes.

I squirmed beneath him and tried to look away as a faint blush flushed my cheeks. He turned my head to look at him with a gentle finger. He wasn't going to let me hide. "I've not..." I started before averting my gaze as my blush deepened.

"Not what Sakura?" he demanded.

"I've not had sex before," I whispered glancing at him from under my lashed.

The corners of his eyes widened in surprise, but that was all that changed in his appearance. "Surely you have," he murmured. "Everyone in ANBU has done seduction missions. Not to mention what Orochimaru has said about you an Sasuke."

I shook my head. "I've done seduction missions," I told him. "But I've never had sex. I always used a clone or genjutsu. Only Tsunade knows that. I usually would use a genjutsu to make the target seem more drunk than they were and slipped out and switched with a clone."

His eyes narrowed. "Your sharingan is strong enough that you can cast and dispel a genjutsu from another room," he concluded. "How are you not of my clan?"

I shrugged. "I don't know," I told him honestly. "I don't remember much before I entered the Academy."

Itachi nodded and rolled off of me and laid beside me, accepting what I was telling him. "Be glad that you were not apart of us back then," he murmured quietly.

I hugged him and curled up beside him. "At least we are not as cold anymore," I joked, hoping to keep him from disappearing into those memories.

Itachi laughed and dropped a kiss on my forehead. "Go to sleep," he ordered gently.

I growled at him in irritation. "Don't be so bossy."

I felt his chuckle. "I was an ANBU captain. I am use to people following my orders."

"Don't get too use to it," I mumbled as I let my body relax in his arms. Itachi wouldn't let anything happen to me while I slept and neither would Fudo. They were all the warning that I needed if things went wrong.

Itachi watched as Sakura fell asleep in his arms. It was still a novel experience, to be trusted so much that she would lower her guard completely around him. The last time someone had fallen asleep in his arms Sasuke had been two. She has surprised him again. He never expected her to be a virgin. It was rare to begin with, nearly unheard of amongst kunoichi. For her to be an active ANBU operative and still be one, it was an impossibility. Many ANBU missions ended up being seduction missions in some way, it was part of what made them so dangerous. Not only were they dealing with the worst the world had to offer or their enemies, but then best way to get under someone's guard was to get to them personally. After all it was impossible to hide weapons on one's self when they were naked.

He sighed and held her more tightly. She was precious to him. Even though it had only been a few months, he knew that she was one of his precious people. She was his. The Akatsuki was a makeshift family that he had found after murdering his. He had settled for that being the best part of being a member, but now he had her. And he knew that he was not worthy, but in this he was going to be selfish. Curling around her, he let her sleep and waited for the storm to break.

* * *

 **A/N: Well here is the next chapter. I hope that it begins to explain a few things. I plan on having another chapter out to you guys this week since I'm on break before school starts back up next week. Anyway, enjoy and please REVIEW to let me know what you think or if there is anything that you want to see.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter for you all. I hope you like it. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 6

I woke up to silence. The wind had passed with the storm sometime during the night. I curled closer to Itachi as I smiled at Fudo snoring slightly as he slept. I definitely was not a morning person. When Itachi noticed that I was awake, he slowly sat up. "Pain wants us to head back to the hideout," he told me.

I shivered as the cool air brushed my warm skin under my cloak. "I don't think that Fudo will be able to make the entire flight back," I told him as I glanced at the still heavily sleeping dragon.

Fudo stirred and stretched as far as the cave would allow. "What?" he asked sleepily as he blinked his ruby eyes.

I smiled in amusement. "The flight back," I told him. "Would you be able to make it back?"

Fudo yawned and curled back up in a ball, brushing me away from his side with his tail. "If he didn't need us for awhile," he muttered as he fell halfway asleep again.

I shook my head and stood, glancing back at Itachi as he stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned back against him and looked at Fudo as he fell back asleep. Well this is a problem, I thought to myself. The cliff face outside was a sheer drop that wouldn't be a problem for shinobi, if it hadn't been covered in ice that was constantly shifting. We needed a dragon to get out of here, just not Fudo. "I am fine with that," Fudo mumbled sleepily as he eavesdropped on my thoughts.

Nodding, I released Fudo and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Itachi released me and watched me warily though he trusted me to get us out of here. I walked a little ways away and bit my thumb before completing the summoning seals and slapped my hand on the ground. When the smoke cleared, an emerald greed dragon that was slightly smaller than Fudo appeared. The dragon stretched and looked at me with shimmering emerald eyes.

"Who is that?" Itachi asked as he watched the dragon.

"This is Haniyasu," I told him as I approached Haniyasu and rubbed between his eyes. "Haniyasu, this is Uchiha Itachi."

Haniyasu nodded at Itachi and glanced back at me. Speaking without have to use words. Nodding, I climbed onto his back and waited for Itachi to join me. "He's younger than Fudo," Itachi noted as he settled behind me.

"By about a thousand years or so," I confirmed. I gently squeezed my legs around the base of Haniyasu's neck to let him know that we were ready. He walked to the cave opening and curled his talons over the edge of the cliff. With a mighty leap, he jumped from the cave and swept his wings downwards to lift us into the morning air.

* * *

I watched as the sky turned from blue to gold to crimson and finally to black as the sun set below the horizon. I watched as the stars slowly came out to decorate the sky as the moon rose. It was our third day in our flight back to the hideout and we were almost back. Itachi slept behind me and I struggled to stay awake so that I could guide Haniyasu. He hadn't been to this world in a long time and was not familiar with the landmarks that would lead us back to the hideout. After the main hideout had been nearly discovered, I offered an alternative for the Akatsuki to use to avoid detection. An underground hideout that was only detectable to members.

"Stay with me, Sakura," Haniyasu said gently in a deep base voice that reminded me about the rumble of shifting earth.

"Easy for you to say," I replied with a yawn.

"It seems to be close," he stated as he looked back and forth over the land below us. "We should be there before dawn." I nodded and looked back up at the stars. What I wouldn't give for a few hours of sleep. "So you have a mate?" He asked as he sensed my mind beginning to quiet as I struggled against sleep.

"It appears so," I answered in my thoughts.

"How long has it been?" He asked as he let an updraft carry us higher into the sky.

"About six months," I answered.

"You two seem close," he noted. "You do not need words to communicate and he seems to be attentive to you."

"I suppose." He was right. Itachi had been attentive to me. He anticipate everything I needed before I even knew that I needed it. Though he had a forceful personality and was at times very intense, he never hurt me. He challenged me and urged me to become stronger. I relished having him focus on me like I did on him.

"How is everyone?" I asked, changing the topic and curious about the other dragons.

"Raiden still relishes annoying everyone. Fujin is beginning to realize that he will never be a mate to Benzaiten. Benzaiten is her usual self."

"Does she still insist on showing you all up?" I asked with a laugh.

Haniyasu nodded. "She never lets us live it down either," he grumbled.

"And how have you been?"

"The same," he replied. "I am still the quiet one that watches over the others. Benzaiten is the only one that struggles with that."

I laughed at that. Benzaiten had had a crush on Haniyasu for as long as I had known her. "How are the other two?" I asked seriously.

He sighed. "They have disappeared," he stated flatly. "After the last time you summoned them, they hid from each other and us. We looked for them but didn't find a trace but we can sense that they are still somewhere in the valley."

I nodded. The Dragons of Life and Death were vital to the world, more so than many suspected. The fact that they had hidden from the others was concerning but I knew that if I really needed them, they would come. I tried to imagine where they could be hiding in the valley. There were not too many places that they could hide. Both of them were massive in size, easily dwarfing the other dragons. They were ancient.

"Don't fall asleep," Haniyasu said with a laugh.

I shook my head and sat up straighter. "Sorry," I murmured.

"Provision pill wearing off," he noted.

I nodded. "Tsunade would beat me senseless if she could see me now," I told him ruefully, thankful that she was not around for once. "Once it wears off, I will need a flat surface."

"I think that we are getting close," he noticed as he leveled out at glided.

I glanced over his shoulder and looked at the ground. I blinked as I began to recognize familiar hills and snaking rivers. We passed the sunken in clearing where I battled Sasori and I finally glimpsed a clearing surrounded by three hills in the bend of a river. "There right?" Haniyasu asked as he slowly began to descend.

"Mhmm," I told him. I turned and gently touched Itachi's leg. "We are back," I told him as he opened his eyes.

He sat up from where he had been laying back along Haniyasu's back and wrapped his arms around me. "You need to sleep," he noted as I slouched against him, his warmth lulling me to sleep faster than the quiet night.

I nodded and sat up straighter as the ground opened beneath us as we descended into the clearing. Haniyasu glided into the cave and gently landed as the ground closed over us. I glanced around the cave and noticed the other Akatsuki members walking towards us. "Who is that?" Pain asked.

"This is Haniyasu," I told them as I slid down Haniyasu's shoulder and leg to the ground, stumbling once my feet hit the ground as my exhaustion began to manifest itself. Itachi leapt down and caught me before I could fall. "And I need sleep."

"What did you do to her, Itachi?" Kisame laughed.

"Yeah, un," Deidara agreed. "She's dead on her feet, un. What happened?"

I growled, in no mood to tolerate their jokes that were as bad as Naruto's. "I had to get us here," I told them. "It took three days." Itachi let me go, sensing my lack of patience, and I walked towards the door that was the entrance to the hideout. "Do not bother me," I warned them, knowing that a few of them would be tempted to prank me while I was tired. Honestly, I thought. Their maturity level was lower than that of the Rookie nine. "Raiden will be watching." They laughed but didn't argue. They knew Raiden's element was lightening and, when they had challenged him the first time, they had learned that his size was deceptive.

I walked through the doors, down the hall, and to my room. I closed the door and locked it before walking down the short hall to my living room. Biting my thumb, I summoned Raiden and asked the small silver dragon to guard my door. With a nod of assurance, he flew to the door and left me to get some rest. I quickly changed into a black tank top and shorts and laid down on top of my covers. I didn't even get to snuggle underneath them because I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

* * *

"Wow," Deidara said as they stared at the main doors that Sakura had just slammed shut hard enough to crack the frame. "How far did you go, un?"

"The Land of Snow," Itachi replied. "A snow storm stopped us."

"That explains it," Kisame murmured as he eyed Haniyasu as the green dragon leapt into one of the smaller caves that Sakura had created for them.

"This will delay us slightly but not much," Pain stated flatly. "We will need her at full strength."

Itachi looked at Pain and raised an eyebrow in question. "It is time we took the offensive," Pain told him. "We will be relocating closer to the Hidden Leaf and will wait for the nine tails to come to us."

"He has to come home sometime, un," Deidara growled.

"I wouldn't put it past Tsunade to keep him from Konoha indefinitely," Orochimaru stated with a smile. "She could be sending him mission assignments via a summons. The brat did take after Jiraiya."

"Intelligence does not suggest such a theory," Zetsu murmured. "It would be wise to wait for him to come to us and then we can move forward."

"As soon as Sakura has had a chance to rest, we will head out," Pain ordered. "Until then we all shall use this time to recuperate." Without another word, he took Konan's hand and lead her from the cave.

"He has a point," Kisame said as the rest of them began walking towards the doors. "We all know that it doesn't take her long to be ready for another mission." Itachi followed them through the doors and kept his thoughts about her being a Jinchuuriki to himself. As they walked past Sakura's door, he nodded at the small dragon curled up at the base of the door.

"She recovers so fast!" Tobi exclaimed. "Sakura-chan is super strong."

They all ignored the over exuberant man and continued walking down the hall as Itachi walked into his own room. He shrugged off his cloak and tossed it on the chair by his desk before turning to glare at the person who entered behind him. Orochimaru smiled. "Don't glare at me, Itachi-kun," he reproached. "You are certainly worse than your brother. Such horrible manners."

Itachi didn't answer. Orochimaru was a snake that only worked for his own gain. The fact that he had targeted Sasuke was only the most recent in his long list of transgressions. Orochimaru had signed his own death warrant when he targeted Itachi's own sharingan.

"Always so silent," Orochimaru observed. "I wonder if you are like this with dear Sakura. You do know that she and your brother had a wonderful time while with me. So in love."

Itachi narrowed his eyes but didn't rise to Orochimaru's bait. He knew the truth of that particular mission, but Orochimaru didn't need to know that detail. Better to let him think that he had the advantage.

Orochimaru's smiled widened as his eyes narrowed in irritation. "Just remind her that she should still be careful," he warned pleasantly as he turned and walked out of the room.

Itachi sighed once Orochimaru's chakra signature faded as he moved down the hall. Turning, he walked to the wall at the base of his bed and gently pressed on the stone. Without a noise, the wall slid open and allowed him entrance to Sakura's living room. He walked in and walked over to her bedroom, slowly opening the door to not disturb her. When he glanced inside, he saw that she was fast asleep on top of the covers in her pajamas. Her long pink hair gleamed as it caught the light from the candle on her nightstand and her beautiful face was peaceful as she slept.

Entering the room, Itachi simply watched her. The fact that she didn't react to him being in the room told him exactly how tired she was, since she usually would have flung a kunai at him the second he opened the door. He loved watching her sleep, seeing the softer, more vulnerable side that she rarely showed him while she was awake. He wondered what she would look like, curled up on his own silk black sheets after he loved her all night. Would she curl up along his body or would she simply fall asleep sprawled over him?

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he walked into the room and rolled Sakura to her back before gently picking her up. She sighed and curled into his chest, searching for warmth as he pulled the covers back. He gently laid her down and pulled the covers over her, tucking her in so that she would be comfortable. Orochimaru could threaten her as much as he liked but Itachi would end him the second Orochimaru made a move towards her. He did not have to hide his protection and he wouldn't. She was his to protect and keep. Orochimaru wouldn't touch her.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead as he brushed some hair from her face. Standing, he blew out the candle and left the room, closing the door behind him. Walking back to his room, he closed the secret door and stripped to his boxers before crawling into his bed. Extinguishing the candle on his own nightstand, he settled in for the night and fell asleep thinking about Sakura.

* * *

The night was dark. There wasn't a moon or stars to light the endless black as I wondered through the forest. The night was also eerily silent; without crickets, owls, or any other nocturnal sounds. I ghosted across the forest floor on silent footsteps when Orochimaru appeared from the mist. He smiled with far too much pleasure and I was instantly on edge. He turned and vanished into the mist again and I cautiously followed him, ever wary of the snake. The fog slowly melted as a light appeared in the distance and I headed towards it, walking into a cave lit by candles.

Orochimaru walked towards a chair where a shadowed figure sat captive, a pool of blood shimmering beneath them on the floor. Orochimaru pulled the figure's head up by matted hair and I froze at the familiar face. Itachi stared unseeingly at me, his eyes dull and glossed over with pain. Dozens of cuts crossed his chest and body and I could tell that he was hanging onto life by a thread. I struggled to reach Itachi but my feet wouldn't move. Orochimaru smiled evilly and raised a single kunai for me to see. I screamed and struggled as I realized his intent. Orochimaru looked me in the eye and drove the kunai into Itachi's heart. Itachi's eyes widened before dulling completely as he died and Orochimaru laughed as he saw me crumble. I could feel when Itachi died and felt a part of myself die with him. A hole grew in my chest and I struggled, screaming, against the darkness as Orochimaru's laugh echoed in my ears. All I could see was Itachi dying before me over and over again and being unable to prevent it.

Suddenly, I felt sharp stabs of pain in my chest and I snapped my eyes open and sat up, dislodging Raiden. I gasped for air and glanced around, unsure of where I was. Suddenly, reality settled into my frightened mind and I took a deep breath. Itachi was safe. He was sleeping in the room next to me, alive.

Raiden sat up on his hind legs and settled his foreclaws on my chest so that he could look me in the eye. "Are you awake now?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded. "What happened?" I asked, trying to clear my mind.

"I felt your fear from outside," he told me as he curled up in my lap, watching me with intelligent silver eyes. "As it increased, I decided to check on you. You began screaming when I entered the room." I shook my head and shivered as the cool air brushed over my sweat slicked skin. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Later please?" I asked him as I shuttered as remnants of my dream filtered through my head. "I won't sleep if I talk about it right now. Where is Haniyasu?"

"He is awake and in his cave," Raiden stated gently as he climbed up my arm to rest on my shoulder, rubbing his head against my wet cheek once he was there. "We are worried about you. You know you are safe with us. Don't cry."

I wiped away my tears and stood, walking from the room. "You need more sleep," Raiden cautioned as I left my room and walked down the hall.

"I know," I told him. I could already feel sleep pulling at my mind, even though I was still terrified of that dream reoccurring. "But I can't sleep there."

I walked down the hall and out the main doors, silently entering the cave. With quick steps, I ran to Haniyasu's cave and leapt up into it. "You know neither us nor Itachi will let anything happen to you," Raiden reminded me.

"I know." I met Haniyasu's emerald gaze and sighed. "Do you mind?" I asked him since I knew he was reading my thoughts.

"Never, little one," he replied as he lifted a wing at my approach. I laid down beside his warm belly and curled into his side. He lowered his wing over me and cocooned me with his body. "That which you fear will not reach you here. Sleep and I will keep watch." I didn't reply and tried to meld my body with his. Raiden laid on my side along the length of my body with a yawn. Together, they kept watch over me while I fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"Where is Sakura-chan?" Tobi questioned for the hundredth time. "I want to see, Sakura-chan."

Itachi suppressed the urge to murder the man. No one had been too concerned when Sakura missed breakfast, all of them assuming that she was just sleeping in. It was when she missed lunch that they began to worry. Kisame flung a kunai at Tobi, causing the man to shriek and duck at the last minute. "Would you shut up?" Kisame shouted, his patience at an end and creating an argument between the two.

Itachi sighed and hid his concern. It was nearing dinner and they still couldn't find her. He had stretched his senses out as far as they could and still couldn't sense her. He inwardly cursed ANBU training. She no doubt suppressed her chakra without a thought and was good enough that she didn't leave a trace to be found, much like every other member in ANBU. He had even asked Haniyasu if he had seen her or could sense her. He bit back a growl of frustration.

"She isn't with the dragons?" Pain asked him.

Itachi shook his head as Deidara cursed. "Leave it to her to be able to disappear in such a small place, un," He hissed.

Itachi knew that the others were worried about her. Though they tried not to show it, most of them were family and had bonds with one another. Sakura had brought an element to the Akatsuki that hadn't been there in years; happiness. Everyone tended to gravitate towards her for that. She still saw the beauty in the world despite being a very powerful kunoichi. Itachi walked away from the others as Hidan entered the argument between Kisame and Tobi. He headed towards the main cave, suspicious of Raiden. The dragon had been too forthcoming with his answer earlier. It seemed to him that the dragon would know where his Jinchuuriki was, even if she suppressed her chakra.

He closed the main doors, blocking off the escalating argument, and approached Haniyasu's cave. With a single leap, he landed on the lip of the cave and slowly approached the larger dragon who watched him but didn't move. Suddenly, Raiden appeared clinging to Itachi's cloak with his sharp talons and staring him in the eye.

"What do you want?" He hissed, glaring at Itachi through narrowed eyes.

"You know where she is," Itachi stated coolly.

"We already told you that we don't," Raiden countered angrily.

"How could you not?" Itachi asked evenly. "She is your Jinchuuriki. I know that you have a connection to her."

Raiden growled and was about to speak when Haniyasu intervened. "Enough," he ordered in a deep voice. Itachi turned to glare at the larger dragon. It was the first time he had spoken to Itachi. "Raiden, if she told him that much,then she must trust him. And if he is her mate, then he has a right to know." Haniyasu slowly lifted his wing and looked at Itachi. "She came here during the night and stayed," he told Itachi. "She was very frightened."

Itachi slowly approached Sakura, who was curled up beside asleep. Raiden growled and let go of Itachi to settle on Sakura's side as if he was a blanket. Itachi knelt down beside her and gently brushed some of her hair out of her face. "What scared her?" he asked the green dragon.

"She would not tell us," Haniyasu replied. "But whatever it was, it terrified her. She is not one to scare easily."

Itachi nodded. He knew that Sakura was willing to face anything without fear and that she succeeded almost every time. He had never seen her scared before and he didn't care for it now. He wanted to know the cause and eliminate the threat so that she would never be scared of it again. He knew that it was a naive thought but he never wanted to see her like this again. Slowly, she stirred under his hand, her eyelids fluttering open and brushing his thumb.

I slowly opened my eyes, wondering if reality would be the same as my dream. Itachi knelt beside me, his warm hand cupping my cheek, his fingers in my hair, and Raiden was laying on my side. I slowly sat up, forcing Raiden to move to the ground, and looked around. I was in Haniyasu's cave, still protected against his side, and Itachi was before me, alive and healthy.

"Sakura," Itachi whispered softly, his thumb brushing along my cheekbone. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at him and simply threw my arms around his neck and refused to let go. I could feel silent tears falling down my cheeks as relief flooded me. He was startled for a moment before he wrapped his arms security around me and pulled me towards him, tucking my head under his chin. I didn't know that he trusted me so much as to let me completely under his guard. He held me until my tears subsided and I gently kissed his neck.

Itachi sensed the others' chakra signatures outside the cave and pulled back to look at Sakura. Even when she was crying and shaking, she was still beautiful. "The others are here," he told her. "You caused a panic when you skipped breakfast and lunch."

Her eyes widened at his words. "No wonder I am hungry," she murmured with a shy smile.

Shaking his head in amusement, Itachi stood and pulled Sakura with him. Together they left the cave and gracefully fell to the floor. "What the fuck do you think you were doing?" Hidan yelled as he aggressively walked towards them.

Sakura blinked at his rage. "Sleeping," she stated as she tilted her head to the side in confusion causing Itachi to smirk in amusement.

I glared at Hidan as he began to shout for no reason at all. "Why were you sleeping here?" Pain asked, his tone cutting through the noise as Raiden settled on my shoulder.

I simply shrugged and didn't reply. No need to tell them about my nightmare and, if I was smart about it, Itachi wouldn't need to know either. A quick glance at Itachi, who looked at me with barely contained curiosity and determination, told me that he would find out what scared me last night whether I wanted to tell him or not. I briefly wondered if he would use tsukuyomi to get the information from me, before shaking my head and walking towards the main doors. I could feel Itachi following me and sighed as I walked to my room. I tried to close the door before he could get in, but he was so bloody fast that he easily sidestepped the closing door.

I turned and starred at him, my arms crossed defensively over my chest, waiting. "Tell me," he finally commanded.

I lifted a brow at his arrogant command. He simply stared at me, a glimmer of his sharingan sparking in the black depths as he offered another way for him to get the information. "You do that," I warned him. "And you will never know."

His eyes narrowed but he relaxed the chakra that he had been gathering unconsciously. "Then tell me," he sighed as he crossed his arms. "Please."

"Has Orochimaru been to talk to you recently?" I questioned first. I need to know if he was still a threat and that man enjoyed his games too much to let me know if he was after me or not. Orochimaru loved mind games and unsuspecting prey. Itachi inclined his head in answer and I bit back a curse. Raiden shifted on my shoulder, a silent signal of his support. I took a deep breath.

Itachi watched as she gathered her thoughts. Something had scared this fascinating woman. This brave, determined woman who took down a tailed beast on her own, who leapt into battle headless of her own mortality, who stood toe to toe with him and demanded to be treated as an equal. And now she had offered the first clue; Orochimaru was connected to her fear. It took all of his self control to stand patiently and wait for her explanation rather than finding the snakelike man and killing him, slowly and painfully. However, he was aware of the fact that, if he left, he may never know exactly what had scared Sakura. She would clam up and never utter a word of it to him. That was something that he would not stand for.

Seeing her struggle, he slowly approached her and took her hand, leading her to he bedroom. With a kiss on her forehead, he sat down and leaned against the headboard, pulling her small frame into his lap. "Tell me," he insisted again, this time gently. Less of a command and more of a plea.

I sighed and snuggled into Itachi's warm chest, forcing Raiden to my lap. "I had a nightmare," I told him in a quiet murmur. "I was in the woods and Orochimaru appeared. He seemed really pleased with himself and walked further into the woods. I followed him to a cave." I stopped as the dream replayed in my head.

Itachi wrapped his arms around me in silent comfort and protection. I knew that he knew that I could protect myself but I still relished his protection. It made me fell cherished. "It was dim and I couldn't see who was held captive. They were bleeding heavily, barely alive, and then Orochimaru lifted their head for me to see. It was you," I told him, feeling him tense at my words. I could clearly see the image in my mind, as if it was a memory instead of a dream. "I tried to get to you but I couldn't move. I screamed at Orochimaru to let you go but he wouldn't listen. Instead, he killed you with a kunai through the heart." I shivered as I relived the painful dream. A dark cold part of me reached for my hurt and fear, thriving off of it. That dark part of me was new and unknown, something that I couldn't simply push to the back of my mind. "I couldn't protect you. I couldn't even get to you."

Raiden stood on his hind legs and gently held my face between his claws. "The worst thing in the world for us," he said quietly to both of us. "Is losing your mate. It is so much worse when they die in front of you, even in a dream. This, more than anything, confirms that you are mates. You would not be this scared, Sakura, if Itachi not meant for you. I am sorry that you had to see that."

I gently rubbed Raiden's back and looked up at Itachi, who was still tense. I could sense his tightly leashed killing intent in his deceptively gentle hold on me, his eyes were blood red, revealing his fury. Whether at me or at Orochimaru I wasn't sure, but I knew that he couldn't afford to go after Orochimaru. A small part of me was strangely turned on at his anger; that he was furious over someone frightening me and wanted to show him how much we appreciated his protection. "What are you thinking?" I asked him, for once unable to see past his mask.

He looked down at me, his eyes softening slightly, but didn't speak. "Are you guys coming to dinner or not?" Deidara called from the main hall.

Itachi flared his chakra in reply as he set me down on the bed and stood. With a feather-light kiss on my forehead, he left the room, leaving me alone. I looked after him in concern. I had never seen him this angry before. I knew that he had a temper that he kept heavily concealed but I had never seen a glimpse of it before. Shaking my head at Raiden who looked like he was about to talk, and stood to get dressed. I need food and then a shower, I thought to myself. In that order.

* * *

Itachi very gently closed his bedroom door when all he really wanted to do was slam it. He had never felt this kind of fury before, an all consuming rage that threatened to spin out of control. Orochimaru dared to frighten his woman, even in her dreams. He needed to get away from her for a little bit, she didn't deserve to see his anger. He glared at the wall and struggled to keep his fury leashed.

He wanted to protect her and possess her, everything that she was. He knew that it wasn't rational but he still wanted it. She would be his, he assured himself. He just needed to make it so. He just needed-

"Oi," Deidara called from the hall, knocking. "Itachi. Open up, un."

Itachi turned his glare to the door and let a tiny part of his killing intent go, pleased to hear his retreating footsteps. Shaking his head, he settled on his bed, crossing his legs and resting his wrists on his knees. He closed his eyes and slowly forced himself to relax. With a deep breath, he settled into a genjutsu.

When he opened his eyes, he gazed out over the open field before him. The cool breeze was soothing and the sound of it sweeping through the tall grass was comforting. The cool green grass felt like velvet beneath him and the sky was a clear crystal blue. This was where he came to settle his feelings. He could rage here for days, destroying the field, and not a single trace of that rage would be found in the actual world. This was a part of his tsukuyomi, a part that he never shared with anyone. As capable as tsukuyomi was of torturing someone and terrifying them, it was equally capable of soothing one's soul and bringing them peace.

He assumed that Sakura had a jutsu like this, a place where she could simply be without the expectations of the world. Only a handful of people would dare to try and enter this realm. Tsukuyomi was his world and he controlled every aspect of it; time, space, mass, weather, everything. But where only a few would dare to find or enter his world, he suspected that no one could find Sakura's place like this. The fact that she had the sharingan was astonishing enough, he had no doubt she had perfected every aspect of it. He longed to spar with her again using it; he hadn't seen it since her spar when she entered the organization.

The soft whisper of footsteps in the grass pulled Itachi from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and looked up at Pain with annoyance. "May I join you?" Pain asked, knowing full well that this was Itachi's realm.

Itachi simply closed his eyes and imagined a different spot. When he opened his eyes, Pain was sitting next to him on a cool boulder on the edge of stream at the base of a beautiful cascading waterfall. Tall trees surrounded them and partially obscured the sky. The water from the falls created a refreshing mist that barely touched them and Itachi let the soothing sounds wash over him, cooling his temper.

"I will never get use to that," Pain said with a hint of weariness in his tone. "You need to come back. We have to leave for the Leaf soon and delayed too long looking for Sakura."

Itachi glanced at the Akatsuki leader and nodded, letting the world around him fade away. He opened his eyes and glanced at Pain's body where it sat on the floor as Pain was forced out of the genjutsu. Without a word, they both stood and left the room. They needed to eat and plan out the move to Konoha.

* * *

I walked slowly down the hall to the dinning room in fresh clothes. Food and a shower were about even on my list of priorities but with my stomach growling, food won out. The other members looked up as I entered the room but they quickly went back to their conversations. They knew that I hated being the center of attention and I quickly drilled that lesson into their thick heads, painfully. I nodded at Konan and walked to the kitchen. Seeing an empty counter, I opened the fridge and pulled out some recently cooked rice and fish. Setting the plates on the counter, I grabbed a clean plate from the cabinet and began making rice balls.

Once I had about five made, I put up the fish and rice before taking my plate back to the dinning room. I settled down next to Itachi, who seemed calmer now, and listened to the conversations floating around the room. Itachi occasionally stole a rice ball but we did not speak to each other, I was not sure what to say to him and I wasn't sure what he was thinking. Eventually, the room quieted and everyone stared at us. "What is it with you two, un?" Deidara asked as he slapped the table, much to Konan's irritation. She had tried to instil manners into the group, but one could only do so much with this group of men.

"Yes," Orochimaru purred, happy at the subtle tension between Itachi and I. "Do tell us, my dear."

I suppressed a shudder and felt that dark part of me start to rise up. Narrowing my eyes, I subtly cast a genjutsu over the room, settling everyone into it. I couldn't deal with Orochimaru, not yet, not when fear and anger roared within me to kill him. Slowly, so as to not disturb them, I stood and walked from the room. I needed a shower and some space to figure out what was going on in my head.

Itachi watched as Sakura glared at Orochimaru and stood. Without a word, she walked from the room, leaving her food on the table to indicate that she would return. They all watched her go and shook their heads. They all continued their meal, but now it seemed that they were thirstier than before as they passed the pitcher of water around to refill their glasses.

Suddenly, giggles echoed down the hall and Sakura appeared with a group of young, skimpy dressed women. Every male in the room froze and stared at the women as each one picked out at man and walked toward them to straddle them seductively. Sakura was the last one to settle across his lap, he hands gently resting on his shoulders. Itachi's hands instinctively wrapped around her waist to balance her as she moved against him, her hands dragging down his chest.

The room was filled with laughter and moans as the girls began rubbing themselves against the men, seductively giving them lap dances. Sakura slowly rolled against Itachi causing him to bite back a moan and his fingers to tighten on her waist. His desire roared to life as she continued her enticing dance, as she brushed and rubbed against him until it was all that he could do to not lay her on the table and take her. But there was something about this that bothered him. Something wasn't right. He ignored Sakura as she writhed against him and looked around through narrowed eyes.

"What is it, Itachi?" Kisame asked with a laugh. "Is Sakura not good enough?"

Itachi glared at Kisame and wondered what was wrong with this situation. He knew that something was off but he couldn't put his finger on it, which was beginning to piss him off.

"Yeah, un," Deidara started as a brunette ground against him, causing him to cut off his statement with a moan. "If you don't want her, I'll take her, un."

Itachi was across the room before everyone finished their laughter at Deidara's comment. With a quick strike, he stabbed the brunette and glared at Deidara with barely contained fury. He absently noticed that the girl disappeared which indicated a genjutsu had been cast over them. He could only think of one person that could do that. The room fell silent as the others noticed the results of Itachi's actions.

"What is going on, Itachi?" Pain asked warily, shoving the girl off of him.

"Genjutsu," Itachi muttered as he disrupted his chakra pattern. Unfortunately, the disruption did not dispel the jutsu. Sakura had to be stronger than he thought. He narrowed his eyes. What was she up to?

Going on instinct, the launched a few senbon at the girls that had entered with Sakura. With a puff of smoke, they all disappeared, leaving the other members reeling at what was going on. Turning he glared at Sakura. She smiled sweetly and walked seductively towards him. He ignored the lovely sway of her hips and narrowed his eyes at her in irritation. A normal release didn't work so there had to be a key to dispelling the jutsu. Closing his eyes, he flicked a single needle at Sakura and heard her disappear.

Opening his eyes, he found himself sitting at the dinning room table as if nothing had happened. The smell of alcohol perforated the room and his senses seemed dulled. A substitution and genjutsu, he noted. Flawlessly executed beneath the noses of the most dangerous shinobi in the world. Sakura was beginning to show her true skill. He felt a curious mix of irritation and curiosity at what else she could do.

Tobi lifted his glass and took a sip before spewing the drink all over the table in front of him. "This isn't water," he exclaimed in outrage that would have been amusing at any other time.

Deidara groaned and slowly cradled his head on the table, no doubt hating how the world spun around him.

Itachi slowly stood, taking note that he only felt a slight buzz, and walked out of the room. He ghosted down the hall and gently reached for Sakura's door. A spark of lightening reached for his hand as it barely brushed the wooden surface and he glared at the door. Raiden was guarding her. Turning quickly, he walked into his own room and used the secret door to enter Sakura's. He paused inside the living room, listening to try and detect where she was. A quiet, muted splash pulled him in the direction of the bathroom. The door was cracked open and he peeked inside, his anger dissolving at the sight before him.

Sakura was coming out of the water where she had been submerged. Her hair clung to her and her eyes were softened by the steam from the bath. He vaguely noted Raiden sitting on the edge of the tub with his tail twitching back and forth as he popped bubbles that floated near him. Sakura slowly leaned against the side of the tub, the water just barely covering her soft, firm breasts, and closed her eyes as her lips parted on a sigh. "You know there isn't time for that," Raiden chastised softly.

Sakura sighed and glared lightly at the small dragon. "I don't want to do this," she admitted softly, her tone making Itachi want to sweep into the room and guard her. She sounded tired and worn out emotionally. He narrowed his eyes as he realized she had been keeping things from him.

Sakura's eyes flitted around the room, seeming to be focused on something that he could not see. "It is getting worse," Raiden noted, pulling Sakura's attention back from whatever it was that she was seeing.

She shook her head and cursed. "Maybe," she growled.

Raiden flew across the room and picked up some material in his claws. "Come on," he said gently. "We need to go before it gets any worse."

Sakura nodded and slowly stood causing Itachi to bite the side of his tongue to keep from reacting to the sharp hunger that speared through him. Water droplets streamed down her body, running along curves that Itachi's hands longed to trace, and the steam in the room slowly drifted around her, caressing her skin. Sakura had always been lean but now he could see that subtle strength in her toned body and graceful limbs. Her breasts were full and firm, just enough to fill his hands, her waist was tiny before flaring to the gentle curve of her hips, and her long, smooth legs with softly rounded thighs that Itachi wanted wrapped around him as he claimed her. She gracefully stepped out of the water and dried herself with a quick flair of chakra that Itachi could barely feel from where he stood.

She took the material from Raiden and a faint blush caressed her cheeks. "I would never wear this in front of someone else," she muttered in embarrassment as she pulled the material on.

"I think Itachi would appreciate it," Raiden laughed causing her to blush a little more.

Itachi agreed with Raiden as he stared at Sakura. The thin, cream satin material caressed her skin as it fluttered to the ground. Thin straps held the dress up while a v-cut top showed a generous amount of her cleavage. Her breasts stained against the fabric with each breath and the dress clung to her until it reached her hips and fell to the floor. Itachi longed to strip the material from her and ghost his hands over the skin that the dress concealed from him. It hid just enough to drive a man mad with want, hinting at the beauty underneath.

"You know you like silk," Raiden teased as he landed on her shoulder causing Sakura to laugh. Her laugh was nothing like Itachi had heard from her before. It was enchanting and musical, hypnotizing him in a way that had never happened to him before which unsettled him. It was not Sakura's laugh which was warm and comforting, a sound that he longed to hear all of the time.

Itachi watched as Sakura stood still with her eyes closed, her brow creased in concentration. The air before her shimmered and a black doorway appeared. Keeping her eyes closed, she walked with a grace he had never seen in her before into the darkness and vanished. Itachi stared at the doorway for a moment considering whether he should follow her. Finally, he gave into his curiosity and followed her into the darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Gotta love cliffhangers. Please let me know what you think about this guys. Feedback of any kind is welcomed so please review. I will try and have another chapter for you soon. Again, REVIEW... Please :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another chapter for you lovely readers. And, at a request from Moon Phoenix Yukira, I added a small memory to clear up a part of the story that I sadly brushed over. I hope you all like it. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 7

I opened my eyes and looked down at my dress that was now a deep crimson and sighed. "It seems to always do that," I muttered to Raiden, recalling the last time that I had been here. Originally, my dress had been black that time but it still turned crimson once I entered this world.

Raiden snorted. "I think it looks better than the cream," he said.

I rolled my eyes and moved further into the darkness with an easy grace that was foreign to me. The Angel's and Demon's grace, strength, and enchantment flowed through me as easily as my own blood. According to Fudo, the Dragon's Jinchuuriki had other forms that they could take. An angel for life, a demon for death, and a dragon unique to each Jinchuuriki. When the balance of good and evil began to overwhelm the Jinchuuriki, they would come here to meet with the Dragons of Life and Death to restore the balance and keep from going mad and dying. But I had only been here once and had vague memories of that time. I had only been ten; it had been nine years since then. A gently lighted path appeared before me, fading in and out of focus, to lead me to the two dragons.

I stepped onto the path, grateful that the darkness hid the angels and demons who fought an eternal battle from view. The sight of them fighting always distracted me like it had in the bathroom, part of me relishing on the blood shed and another hating every moment of it. The manifestation of their fights was a sign that I need to see the two ancient dragons to keep my own sanity. From what I could remember, the process was extremely painful but I knew that without my sanity, I would not live long.

Huge shadows began to differentiate themselves from the darkness, a small circle of white light between them where the path ended. As I stepped into the circle, two large similar circles formed beneath the shadows to illuminate the dragons. "You took long enough," a deep voice growled from my left. I looked up at the great dragon, leaning my head as far back as I could to look him in the eyes. Shinigami, the Dragon of Death, glared back down at me through bright crimson eyes. His pure black scales almost seemed to disappear into the darkness but the light beneath him caught the edges of his scales, creating a faint glimmer to show where he stood.

"Leave her be," another voice said from behind me. "She has been through enough." I turned and looked up at Izanagi, the Dragon of Life, who looked down at me through brilliant gold eyes. His white scales contrasted sharply with the darkness of this world and seemed to reflect the light to make him seem brighter.

"She took too long," Shinigami growled. "I should not have to wait for the likes of her when I could be thriving on the discord of the human world instead."

Izanagi growled deep in his chest and the sound tore through me pulling a power from inside me towards the surface. I bit back a curse and shuddered. "Stop," I whispered, thankful for their sharp hearing as they heard me. Izanagi lowered his huge head and brushed his snout on my arm. "I am sorry, angel," he murmured in apology.

Shinigami snorted. "Angel?" he scoffed. "She is a demon and you know it."

"Can we please get this over with?" I asked them before another argument could break out.

Izanagi nodded and stood proudly. "Then let us begin," he said flatly in a detached tone. "Raiden, you are no longer needed here." Raiden nodded and, with a last glance at me, he flew into the darkness and disappeared. I knew that he would not go far and would be there for me when I woke up.

Slowly, the light circle around me on the floor rose up to surround me in a sphere cage. Once it surrounded me, it slowly lifted me up to where I was level with Izanagi and Shinigamis' eyes, over a hundred feet into the air. With synchronized movements, Izanagi and Shinigami threw their heads back and let lose a deafening roar. The light around me shimmered with their roar and closed in on me, molding to my skin even as I thrashed in pain because my skin felt like it was on fire. I struggled and tried to evade the light but it merely stuck to me before slowly seeping into my skin and body, burning the entire way. A small voice in my head whispered that it would be easier if I stayed still as the light reached the two powers deep within me. With a scream, I threw my body out; arms wide and chest lifted as if I was being held up by my heart, as the light ripped out of my body pulling the powers of the angel and demon with it. The feeling was unbearably painful, as if someone was ripping rusty kunai out of my body while trying to do more damage in the process.

The light reformed a sphere around me but this time instead of white light, it was a rich red as the two powers collided within it. The two powers swirled around me, eliciting moans of pain from me when they brushed against my skin, before snapping back into my body. I could feel the powers tearing their way back to my soul only to fall quiet once they were there, strangely at peace. As suddenly as it had started, it was over. The light was a calm sphere around me again, lowering me to the ground as Izanagi and Shinigamis' roars echoed off and faded away. When the base of the light touched the ground, it suddenly released me to let me fall to the ground. I waited for the feel of the cool floor on my burning skin, but the feeling never came.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at the person holding me securely against their chest. Itachi watched me with midnight eyes that were narrowed slightly at the corners with worry. Sighing, my eyes fluttered closed as I fought unconsciousness as Itachi lowered me to the floor while holding me against him. When the world fell silent again, my skin stopped burning, leaving a dull ache in it place. Izanagi and Shinigami looked at me and stilled at the sight of another person.

"Who are you?" Shinigami growled angrily.

"I am Uchiha Itachi," Itachi replied, his soothing voice wrapping around me like soft velvet.

"What are you doing here?" Shinigami demanded. "No one else could possibly be here besides her."

"You forget one thing," Izanagi corrected, evoking a growl from Shinigami. "Her mate." Shinigami fell silent for a moment before hissing at being wrong. A ghost of a smile curled my lips as the image of Naruto and Sasuke from our genin days filtered into my mind. Shinigami and Izanagi were just like them, two parts of the same whole, polar opposites that were stronger together than apart. "Is that what you are?" Izanagi asked Itachi.

I could feel Itachi shift as he looked up at Izanagi. He nodded. "I knew that she was the Dragon's Jinchuuriki," he replied in an emotionless tone. Sighing, I stopped fighting unconsciousness and let my body drift into sleep. Itachi was here, he would take care of everything.

Itachi felt Sakura fall asleep in his arms and looked down at her sleeping face, she didn't seem as comfortable as she would normally. He pulled her closer to him, shoving his worry aside before looking up at the two giant dragons.

"She must really trust you," Izanagi observed as his angel fell asleep in the man's arms. He was darker than Izanagi thought her mate would be but true halves never lied. He could almost see the bond forming between them.

Raiden emerged from the darkness and wrapped around Itachi's arm where it rested against Sakura's. He looked up at Itachi, his silver eyes meeting Itachi's dark gaze. "A sign," Raiden began. "That the other elemental dragons and I accept you as Sakura's mate. We welcome you to our world." Itachi nodded in acceptance and Raiden curled up on Sakura's belly, carefully paying attention to her vital signs for any distress.

Itachi looked back at the great white dragon as he moved one of his massive talons to rest on Itachi's forehead. "I, Izanagi, accept you to be the Jinchuuriki's other half," he murmured, his gold eyes blazing with power. "I welcome you." Growling, the dark dragon repeated the gesture and phrase, naming himself as Shinigami, before curling up and watching Itachi with suspicious red eyes.

Izanagi laid down and curled up before Itachi and motioned for him to come closer. "Come," Izanagi ordered gently. "She cannot leave until her body adjusts to the strain that it is under. I will tell you what you need to know and answer any questions that you have."

Itachi stood and pulled Sakura to his chest, carrying her bridal style to Izanagi's side. He slowly sat down and settled Sakura across his lap as he leaned against the white dragon. Once he was settled, he looked up at the dragon, waiting for what he had to say. He knew that Raiden was keeping an eye on Sakura, so he focused on the dragon, eager for more information.

"You do plan on marrying her correct?" Izanagi asked bluntly, cutting straight to the point.

"She is mine," Itachi stated simply, letting some of his possessiveness leak into his tone.

Izanagi nodded. "Once you marry her," he started. "You have to claim her in a particular order; angel, demon, and as she is now. Once that is done you will have to return here to complete your bond to her."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Where is here?" he asked with a quick glance around at the endless darkness.

"A dimension between the three worlds," Shinigami said in irritation. "A space between Heaven, Hell, and Earth. Only dragons and their Jinchuuriki can come here."

"Their mates as well," Izanagi corrected. "Thought that has not happened in a very long time."

Itachi nodded. "What did you mean by an order?" he asked.

"Our Jinchuuriki has multiple forms," Izanagi told him with patience. "It binds them tighter to us and helps keep their power in check. Sometimes a human body is not strong enough to withstand that power. You have seen this with the other Jinchuuriki, once they allow so much power to manifest itself, their bodies begin to break down." Itachi nodded. He had seen that happen with Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Once a third tail manifested itself, his skin began to burn off as the beast began to take over. "To prevent such a thing from happening to our Jinchuuriki, we gave them other forms that would be able to withstand that power. If Sakura were to use a large amount of life power, she would become an angel. If she used more death power, she would change into a demon."

"And the elements?" Itachi asked, absorbing the information without question.

"She has a beast form for that," Raiden told him. "A dragon."

"To finish it?" Itachi prodded.

"To finish it," Izanagi picked back up. "She will have to give you an angel and demon form. You will help her carry the burden of her power. So long as she is sane, you will be as well. The two of you will be bound together for eternity. However," Izanagi paused looking at Itachi with serious eyes. "She will be giving up her fertility. You will not have hairs to carry your name."

"That is a responsibility that I gave to my little brother a long time ago," Itachi told the dragon. "While children with her would be nice, so long as she is mine I cannot foresee a problem."

Izanagi nodded and waited for any other questions from Itachi. After a moment of silence, Itachi looked back down at Sakura. She seemed to be sleeping more peacefully than she had before. Hopefully that meant that she was more comfortable. When he had heard her scream while wondering in the darkness, a fear like he had never known pierced through him and his body simply moved in a direction that he hoped she would be in. He never wanted to hear her scream like that ever again. When he saw her being lowered to the ground, her faint moans of pain reaching his ears, he was already reaching for her, unafraid of the light.

"She will be asleep for a while longer," Izanagi murmured catching Itachi's look. "The resealing process takes a lot of energy and is very painful."

Itachi nodded and watched as a faded path came into view, leading into the darkness. "You need to leave," Shinigami growled from where he was curled up, his body almost fading into the darkness. "I dare you to not care for her."

Itachi meet the dragon's glare without flinching and stood with Sakura in his arms. Without another word to the two dragons, he walked down the path until a rectangle of light appeared at the end of the path. Itachi walked through the door and blinked at the brightness of Sakura's bathroom. He turned just in time to see the doorway vanish and narrowed his eyes at Raiden who was still curled up on Sakura's stomach. Sighing, he carried her to her room and gently placed her on the bed, trying to not disturb her. Nodding at Raiden, Itachi walked through her suite and turned off all of the lights before returning to Sakura's bedroom.

Raiden looked up at Itachi's entrance. "Her vitals have stabilized," he told the man. "She just needs to rest to restore her chakra."

Itachi nodded but didn't take his eyes from Sakura. With a single candle lighting the room, she seemed almost ethereal as she slept. Her gown was once again cream colored and her hair shimmered from where it was spread out across her pillow. He slowly approached the bed and pulled off his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers. He quickly untied his hair and settled beside Sakura with a glare at Raiden. He would not be leaving Sakura's side until she was better. He could sense that her chakra was dangerously low and that she would not be able to defend herself if she was attacked. With a glare of his own, Raiden flew from the room, leaving Itachi with Sakura.

Sighing, Itachi blew the single candle out and laid down on the bed with one arm behind his head. As if sensing his presence, Sakura curled into his side; her head on his chest and her hand resting on his shoulder. Her gown brushed against his skin as she settled and fell still once again. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Itachi pulled her closer and closed his eyes, relishing in the peace of the moment. With a deep breath, he allowed himself to fall asleep, knowing that Raiden wouldn't let anyone near them.

* * *

I knew that I was dreaming. But instead of fighting my dream, I let it carry me to better memories, unwilling to wake and face the pain that I knew my body was in.

The lake was clear, its calm, still waters reflecting the night sky almost making it seem like there was not a ground at all. Thousands of stars and galaxies reflected on the lake's surface and the moon was a dim waning beacon in the sky, a peaceful crescent. Itachi was sitting on the lake's bank, his eyes unfocused as they stared out over the water. He didn't move at my approach nor when I settled down beside him in the soft grass, telling me that he was very deep in thought. I glanced up at him, watching him closely. There was a sadness in his eyes that I did not care for, an old pain that still bothered him to this day. Silently, I placed my hand over his where it rested on his knee, drawing his attention to me. He blinked a few times before turning to look at me, his head tilted to the side in question.

"What is it?" I asked in a whisper, unwilling to break the moment with loud words.

He was silent for a few moments before his eyes hardened and he shook his head. "Nothing," he murmured before looking back out over the water.

I glared at him. "Don't push me away," I told him. "Not after I trusted you with my mission."

He turned and gave me a glare of his own, his sharingan sparking in his eyes but not activating. "I had already suspected that," he stated flatly. I bit back a growl at his true statement. He hadn't been that surprised when I told him about my mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki, in fact he had almost been expectant of it. He simply told me that I would never be the kind of person to turn their back on their village. He was right. I could never see myself betraying Konoha, regardless of what circumstances arouse.

"And I suspect that what ever this is, it has been bugging you for a long time," I retorted fiercely. "Now stop arguing with me and tell me or I'll find out on my own." I let my own sharingan spark in my eyes, offering to take my answer from him regardless if he liked it or not.

He held my glare before sighing and looking out at the water. "You won't back down, will you?" he whispered in amusement that was mixed with defeat.

I shook my head and softened my gaze, letting the sharingan fade away. "Not when it comes to you," I told him. I gently reached up and brushed his bangs back from his face. "Not when you already mean so much to me."

Sighing in defeat, he leaned into my touch. "It would be easier to show you," he murmured as his dark eyes gazed into mine. "Will you let me?"

Knowing what he meant, I dropped my hand and watched as his eyes bled to red, his pupil splitting into three tomoe. I continued to watch as his sharingan spun until the tomoe blended together and formed his Mangekyou sharingan. Taking a deep breath, I nodded at him to let him know that I was ready and with a surprising amount of gentleness he pulled me into his tsukuyomi.

I watched as a third party as a younger version of himself approached the gates to the Uchiha district before pausing to put his ANBU mask on. With a flicker, he disappeared before he began methodically murdering his clan, one by one. I watched as his younger self's eyes glowed with anger and hurt. I watched as he crumbled before his parents, barely being able to bring about their deaths, only to hold himself together to torture Sasuke when he returned home. I wanted nothing more than to hold and comfort Itachi as he reported back to the Hokage before leaving the village forever, a man that would be forever hated for saving the entire village. His younger self collapsed in grief once he was a safe distance from Konoha, his tears streaming down his face as he let out a cry that chilled me in my bones to hear. I watched as he finally picked himself up, closing off all of his emotions, and joined the Akatsuki.

Even to this day, he still protected Konoha. He had been reporting to Jiraiya ever since he joined the organization, secreting plans, identities, and skilled to the legendary shinobi for the very village that hated him. With dizzying speed, he showed me the history before the massacre. How the Uchiha became suspicious of the village, how Danzo was hungry for the power of the sharingan, how Shisui died in an effort to protect them and dispel the tension between the Uchiha and the village. He showed me everything before slowly, gently releasing me from the genjutsu.

I felt my tears but they were nothing compared to the hate that Itachi held for himself, for the grief he still struggled with even though years had passed. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him down so that his head rested on my shoulder. He shuttered before taking a breath and I felt the silent tears against my neck. I didn't say anything as he cried, simply holding him and offering comfort. I made a promise to myself while I held him. I promised that no matter what happened, Itachi would never be alone again. Even if we were not mates, he would always be a part of my family. Never again would he have to go through something like that, not without me by his side.

Slowly, the dream faded and I woke up, breaking free from the memory that would always secure a place in my heart for Itachi. The first thing that I felt was the smooth silk of my gown, then the steady beat of a heart beneath my cheek. Itachi was laying on his side with his arm under my head and around my waist and a leg thrown over mine. I smiled into his bare chest and stretched to release some of the tension in my body, pressing against him gently.

Itachi knew the second Sakura woke up and bit back a groan as she pressed against him. He reflexively pulled her closer, relishing her warmth as the cool air in her room brushed against his chest and back. He could feel the lines of her body through the thin material of her gown, lines that he longed to trace with his lips and hands. He loved the sweet torture that it was to be be around her with so little on, savored the feeling of holding her soft body against his. But, he thought as she settled back against him, he would wait for her to set the pace. He smiled as she relaxed against him, her body almost falling asleep, if not for the small twitches as her body instinctively fought sleep.

She sighed and squirmed further onto his chest, her head resting directly over his heart and her hand curled lightly over his shoulder. Smiling, he rolled onto his back so that she settled on top of him. Her dress draped over their legs as he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and he brushed a kiss on her hair before settling back on the bed. He listened as she finally gave into sleep, her breathing deepening and evening out as her body relaxed further against his. He would never tire of holding Sakura and with that thought, he let his body follow hers into sleep.

* * *

I woke up to Itachi tracing patterns on my back. I was laying on top of him, my head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. I kept my eyes closed and feigned sleep, unwilling to wake up yet and relishing in the peace of the moment. Slowly, Itachi's hand drifted from my back to my side and then down my waist. He traced light patterns down my hip and thigh, his gently caress sending spikes of heat to the pit of my stomach. He chuckled lightly as he felt my heart accelerate at his touch and gently pulled my head up to look at him. "I know you are awake," he murmured in amusement, his words ghosting over my lips.

I opened my eyes and glared at his smirk before smiling up at him and stretching my body, pressing against him, to wake up the muscles. "Good morning, Itachi," I greeted him as I relaxed again.

His eyes narrowed at my stretch and his hand returned to my waist. "Do not push me," he warned lightly.

I looked at him with wide eyes. "Push you how?" I asked in innocence. He gave me a stare that told me that playing dumb was not my strong point and I smiled. "Push you like this?" I asked in mischief as I stretched against him again.

His husky laugh echoed in my ears as he suddenly rolled and pinned me beneath him and settled his weight along my body. "Hmm, I think that you like pushing the limits too much," he observed as his lips grazed the edge of my ear, his voice soft and deep. I shivered at the feeling of being trapped beneath him. "But are you prepared for the consequences of pushing those limits?"

I nipped lightly at his neck and smiled as his body tensed. "I think I can handle it," I told him before kissing where I bit him to sooth the sting.

He sighed before pulling back so that he could look at me with a smirk. "So three forms?" he asked in amusement. "I will assume that each is virgin."

I felt a blush flood my cheeks before burning my ears. I nodded and shifted, smirking as he sharply inhaled as I moved against him. "Three forms means three minds but each has a different personality."

"But they are all you correct?" he asked as his hands slowly began bunching the skirt of my gown up.

I nodded and closed my eyes as his hands touched my bare skin, the nerves sparking to life. "Essentially yes," I said before smirking down at him. "But you can't do anything until we are married."

"Why is that?" he asked his eyes darkening as his hands glided lightly up my thighs.

I bit back a moan and struggled to focus on the conversation and not what he has doing to my body. "The ceremony is different than a normal ceremony," I told him as I met his dark gaze. "There is something different about the vows. You would have to ask one of the dragons for a better explanation. Until then, you are going to suffer in that department."

Itachi smirk mischievously. "What do you mean I'm going to suffer?" he asked in a voice that was pure sin before rolling so that I was straddling him. I moaned quietly as he settled me over him. "I promise you will suffer as much as I am. I will make sure that when the time comes, you are begging for me to claim you as mine."

The hot look in his eyes turned me on as much as his words did. I knew that he never made a promise that he wouldn't keep, and I couldn't wait for this promise to be made. "Oh really?" I asked coyly as I gently scraped my fingernails down his chest, evoking a shiver from him and a near silent gasp.

He smirked and sat up so fast that I had no time to respond before he kissed me. His clips claimed mine in a hungry, dominate kiss, his passion translating to the tempting movement of his tongue as it clashed with mine. His hands seemed to be everywhere, bringing my body painfully and pleasantly to life. He caressed my thigh, my hip, face, neck, and anywhere that he could without touching where I really wanted his touch. Finally, his hand cupped my breast while the other roamed the top of my thigh. I gasped for air and arched into his touch, spikes of pleasure searing through my body before settling low in my belly.

Itachi shuttered as Sakura released his hair and began touching him. He kissed down her neck to the gentle rise of her breasts, scattering soft kisses and little bites along the exposed skin. Her hands drifted to his abdomen and gently scraped her nails downwards, her hands brushing close enough to him that he could feel her heat through his boxers. He had never felt this kind of hunger before, it went beyond just physical pleasure to involve so many emotions. He had to hold back his desire to toss her back on the bed and take her like he wanted to. He knew that she wouldn't fight him but he didn't want to hurt her, which is what he suspected would happen if he didn't follow Izanagi's orders. He growled as Sakura rocked unconsciously against him, snapping him from his thoughts. He returned to her swollen lips and kissed her with an edge that almost bordered on feral as his hand massaged her breast and his other drifted towards her center.

"I believe you are skipping a few steps, Itachi," a voice called from across the room.

Itachi froze while Sakura continued to move against him. He reluctantly pulled back, causing Sakura to hide in his neck, scattering kisses and bites along his neck and shoulder while she was there. He glared at Raiden as he struggled to leash his desire. He could feel Sakura's heat against him as she ground against him, her short breaths ghosting over his neck as her hands gripped his back in a pleasurably painful grip. He tightened his grip on her upper thigh, his fingers brushing the soft skin where her thigh met her hip, eliciting a shiver and moan from her. He couldn't let go.

Raiden flew across the room and settled on the nightstand, a small spark of lightning lighting the candle. "Lets go," he ordered. "The others are getting anxious to leave for Konoha." Suddenly, his dark eyes hardened. "You don't know the consequences of going out of order. I will not let that happen."

I could feel Itachi's glare at Raiden as I struggled to control my breathing. I could have happily murdered the dragon when he came in. Damn, I had never felt anything like that before. Sure, I had had numerous kisses and done everything except letting anyone finger me or have sex with me, but I had never felt desire like that. It had been all consuming and mind numbing. It was like what I had read in books when I was younger after Sasuke left and I hadn't figured out what to do with myself. It almost pained me to pull back slightly from Itachi, who tightened his grip on me to prevent me from moving too far away. "Fine," I growled at Raiden.

Itachi ducked down and brushed my ear with his lips, casting goosebumps over my skin. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice deep and husky, rough with arousal.

"Saving you from being electrocuted," I whispered. "Because if you don't move in the next thirty seconds, Raiden will do it."

Itachi growled but released me. He slowly moved me off of his lap and set me on the bed, his jaw clenched in restraint and his eyes narrowed in anger. With gentle movements that were far scarier than him actually showing his anger, he gently kissed my forehead and walked out of the room. I watched him go, taking in the carefully controlled movements. Damn, I thought to myself. He was a lot sexier when he was pissed off. That careful control made me want to snap it to see what would happen.

I turned and glared fiercely at Raiden. "I know, I know," he said. "Get out before you roast me." He flew half way to the door before pausing and hovering to look back at me. "You know," he began to joke. "Things will get easier when you two are truly-" I growled when he dodged the pillow that I had thrown at him and laughed as he flew from the room. I glared at the door, wishing that I had a kunai within reach.

Sighing, I climbed out of bed and quickly dressed, breathing deeply to calm myself before facing the others. I quickly swallowed a provision pill when I realized that I had slept through breakfast and headed towards the main cave. When I pushed open the main doors, I cursed when I realized that everyone was waiting on me, including Itachi who was looking at Raiden with a calculated look. I shuttered as a spark of desire shot through my body.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," Tobi called as I entered the cave fully.

I smiled and walked towards Itachi and the others, who were all standing in a loose circle around Raiden. "What did you do this time?" I asked Raiden as I stood next to Itachi and took his hand, taking comfort in his warm touch. He wasn't mad at me about earlier.

Raiden shrugged. "Nothing. Just arranging transport."

I looked up at Pain for an explanation. "We were asking to use the dragons to fly us there so that we could be moved and set up within a day."

I nodded. "That is fine," I told him. "I just have to arrange everyone. Only four dragons are big enough to carry riders."

Pain nodded and accepted what I told him. "How would be best to divide us?"

"Itachi and I will take Haniyasu," I told him. "Fudo and Fujin will each take three of you and Benzaiten will take the last two."

"How will we know who is who, yeah?" Deidara asked.

Raiden laughed. "You will now," he chuckled. "You have already met Fudo and Benzaiten is a female."

Nodding, Pain began stepping back, signaling to the others that they need to do the same to give me space to summon the other three dragons. Itachi, however, stayed by my side. Biting my thumb, I quickly completed the signs and slapped my hand on the ground, hating the huge lose of chakra as I summoned a group. Sighing, I stood and leaned against Itachi as I looked up at the dragons. Fudo was looking better now that he had gotten some rest, his ruby scales sparkling in the sunlight spilling into the cave from above. Haniyasu slowly crawled from the cave that he had been sleeping in and stood next to Fudo, nodding his head in greeting. Fujin was a little smaller than Fudo and had light turquoise scales that were similar to the color of the sky. Benzaiten was the same size as Haniyasu, though instead of being bulky, her body was more streamlined and leaner than the male dragons around her. He deep sapphire scales reminded me of the deep color of the ocean.

Tobi looked from dragon to dragon, jumping around like a child and drawing Benzaiten's attention. "Who is this tiny creature?" she asked in a soothing light voice, causing the other members to stare at her in surprise.

"They are humans," Fudo said flatly as he laid down on the cave floor, soaking in the warm sunlight.

Benzaiten turned to glare at the dragon. "I know that," she snapped.

"Its good to see you all," I told them before an argument could break out. This cave was not big enough for them to begin fighting in, not to mention that it would draw attention.

Fujin laughed as Benzaiten blinked at me in irritation and walked over to me. He looked at me standing against Itachi and nudged us with his large snout. "I approve," he stated happily.

I shook my head. "I didn't ask if you did," I smirked at him.

He laughed again and his light turquoise eyes sparkled. "Ah, I have missed you."

I nodded at his remark and smiled as Pain stepped forward. "Who is who?" he asked. "We have delayed long enough."

I nodded and suppressed a shiver as Itachi began slowly caressing the back of my hand with his thumb. "The sapphire on is Benzaiten who can carry two of you. Fujin is the lighter blue. He as well as Fudo will be taking three of you each. Itachi and I will take Haniyasu."

Pain nodded. "Deidara, Tobi, you will be going with Benzaiten," he ordered. "Zetsu, you will be with Konan and I on Fudo. The rest of you will be with Fujin."

Everyone nodded and approached the dragon that would be carrying them. I watched as Tobi nervously approached Benzaiten, squealing when she turned to look at him. "Why do I have to go with the scary one?" he whined.

Benzaiten laughed evilly and lowered her head so that she was staring directly at Tobi. "Oh I will have fun with you," she said mischievously.

"Behave," I warned her as I walked past her to Haniyasu. She ignored me and began to think of combat maneuvers to do while Tobi was riding her. "Don't even think about it," I told her as I climbed up Haniyasu's shoulder.

Tobi looked really concerned but didn't argue when Pain ordered everyone to mount up. All of the dragons laid down to make it easier to get to their backs and I stumbled as Haniyasu moved without warning. Itachi caught me and brushed his lips along my neck as he helped me regain my balance. I shuddered as I stepped from his grasp and settled on Haniyasu's back. Itachi sat down behind me, like normal, but brushed his fingers along my thigh as he wrapped his hands around my waist. I glared at him over my shoulder and sighed at his smirk. Dangerous, sexy man.

"Ready?" I asked Pain. He nodded and gently gripped my legs tighter around Haniyasu's neck. Slowly, he stood and leapt into the sky. I turned at watched as the other dragons followed, smiling as Tobi screamed in an unusually high pitch as Benzaiten leapt into the sky and quickly flew past the others to fly beside Haniyasu. I shook my head and leaned back against Itachi. This would be an interesting flight.

* * *

 **A/N: Please let me know what you all think. I will try and have another chapter for you all this weekend. Life is crazy the next few weeks but I will do my best to get an update to you all each week. Like always REVIEW and let me know your thoughts.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The sun was sinking slowly below the horizon, the night sky entrenching on the brilliant colors of the sunset sky. We had been flying for hours and I sighed as Itachi pulled me further into his chest to protect me from the cool wind. I laid my head back on his shoulder and smiled when he kissed my hair.

"Tell me about your other forms," he said and I could hear the curiosity in his tone.

"I was wondering when you would get around to asking that," I laughed.

He nipped my ear, effectively stopping my laugh. "Then tell me," he ordered.

"Well, there is an angelic and demonic form," I told him. "Angel is more logical in her thought process. She is more caring and honest but it doesn't make her any less deadly if need be. Demon is more..." I stopped, trying to find the right words.

"Impulsive and instinctual," Haniyasu stated. "Demon is more like an animal than a person. She isn't afraid of taking what she wants. Angel is more likely to be honest about killing someone, Demon is more likely to stab them in the back after playing with them."

"Ah," Itachi muttered.

"Be warned, Itachi," Haniyasu warned. "Both Angel and Demon are very powerful beings. They pull their power directly from Izanagi and Shinigami. Their emotions are not like a humans."

I felt Itachi tilt his head to the side, a sign that he wanted another explanation. "What he means," I started. "Is that while they are different parts of me and I am always present in some way, Angel and Demon's emotions are much more forceful than mine. For example, anger. It usually take a lot to piss me off but Demon is quicker to anger, more violently, than I am and Angel has more patience, so it takes longer to anger her."

Itachi chuckled in amusement. I turned and looked up at him. "What are you thinking about?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at his smirk.

He looked at me with heat and desire in his eyes. "That should make-"

I blushed and looked away. "Never mind," I said to cut him off, already knowing what he was about to say based off that look as he and Haniyasu laughed. Sexy bastard, I thought. Of course he would think about how that translated to sex. I shook my head. What very few people knew was that Uchiha Itachi was a pervert at heart, he just hid it extremely well. So well that you would never suspect it unless you were the focus of those perverse thoughts.

Fudo flew up to be level with us, drawn by their laughter. "What is so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing," I told him. "Can you take us higher, Haniyasu?" I asked of the green dragon who immediately caught onto my thoughts.

Haniyasu shot into the air, his massive wings pushing us higher and higher until the other dragons were small dots below us and the air was frigged and dark. "High enough?" he asked.

"Mm hmm," I acknowledged as I began undoing my cloak. Itachi looked at me in curiosity as I handed him the material and saw that I was wearing my ANBU uniform beneath it. "You asked about my other forms," I told him as I slowly stood on Haniyasu's back, gently swaying with his movements. "I needed to train anyway."

He tilted his head to the side as I closed my eyes and looked deep inside me. I hadn't done this in years and knew that I seriously needed to practice. No one else was going to train Itachi. Finding a wild part of myself, I summoned my chakra and fell off of Haniyasu.

Itachi watched as Sakura gracefully and purposely fell from Haniyasu's back, a surge of terror ripping through him at the sight. His eyes narrowed at the dragon he was riding at Haniyasu's lack of concern as he slowly drifted after Sakura. Turning back to Sakura, he watched as she fell until she was nearly at the others before her form shimmered in the dying sunlight. A loud roar echoed in the sky as light silver dragon took Sakura's place. It was as big as Benzaiten and its muscles were just a sleek but its scales sparkled like diamonds in the fading light.

"Sakura," Haniyasu explained at Itachi's silence. "She doesn't use that form much. She's only changed to it willingly once."

Itachi watched as Sakura flew towards Fudo with dazzling speed only to dive beneath the larger dragon at the last moment to avoid Fudo's talons as he swiped at her. She twisted beneath him and came at him from below, going for his front claws. "Hold on," Haniyasu warned before he locked his wings and dove for Sakura, roaring in challenge and leaving Itachi's stomach in his throat at the steep dive.

Sakura paused and returned his roar before rising to meet Haniyasu half way. Their bodies collided with a jolt that almost threw Itachi from Haniyasu's back. Itachi watched as he used chakra to keep him on Haniyasu while the two dragons twisted in the air, each trying to gain the dominant position. With a growl, Sakura flipped backwards and attacked Benzaiten, who met her half way.

"What is happening?" Pain asked as Haniyasu leveled out beside Fudo.

"Sakura is training," Itachi told him as if fighting dragons was an everyday occurrence.

"She isn't doing too bad," Fudo stated as he watched the two female dragons twist and turn in the air, their powerful wings keeping them aloft.

"Not bad at all," Haniyasu observed. "Though who comes out of that match is yet to be determined."

Fudo looked like he was about to reply when a pained roar filled the air. Itachi watched as Benzaiten briefly got the upper hand and swiped her claws across Sakura's back just below her left wing. Sakura lashed out in retaliation, going for an opening on the sapphire's dragons belly. Benzaiten growled and flipped backwards to avoid further injury while slamming her tail into Sakura's wound. "Well that answers that," Fudo sighed.

Itachi watched as rich, crimson blood dripped down Sakura's back and her wings fell limp as Benzaiten's tail made contact with her target. A brief flair of unknown panic filled him as he watched as Sakura fell towards the earth. Haniyasu dived for Sakura, leveling out below her as she returned to her normal form "Catch her," he ordered Itachi, who was already reaching for the falling pinkette.

Itachi pulled Sakura to his chest to check her back for wounds. Her ANBU armor was destroyed but her skin beneath it was flawless. "Where did the would go?" he demanded to know of Haniyasu.

"They remained on her dragon form," Haniyasu explained. "Her eyes will remain like our until they heal. For her, and you later, any injury received stays with the form that was injured. They don't translate to another form. If they did, Sakura would be in ribbons right now. Benzaiten didn't hold back on that strike."

Nodding, Itachi wrapped Sakura's cloak around her to hide the uniform and to keep her warm. She looked like she was sleeping, her features soft and peaceful. He could only assume that dragons had a higher pain tolerance than they did which would make sense since they were essentially animals. If Benzaiten's blow was enough to knock a dragon out, he could only imagine what Sakura was feeling now. He pulled her closer to him, tucking her head against his neck so that he could feel her breaths warming his skin. He clenched his teeth as her scent drifted up to him, the desire that he had just managed to leash in a corner of his mind seeping out of his control.

Haniyasu laughed. "Try meditating," he suggested.

Itachi growled as he glared at the dragon. He knew that Haniyasu was only truing to be helpful, but he was not a young shinobi on his first seduction mission. Closing his eyes, Itachi pulled his anger in and took a deep breath. He would exert the control needed to not be affected by Sakura right now. She was injured and needed him. Finally, he calmed his mind and cleared his thoughts.

He forced himself not to think until the dragons descended into a clearing about a half day's run from Konoha. Haniyasu landed first as the others hovered over the trees and dug his talons into the dirt. With a deep hum the ground beneath him rumbled faintly and opened to reveal a cave exactly like the last hide out. Haniyasu glided into the cave and landed softly. The other dragons followed him and laid down for the other Akatsuki member to dismount. Itachi gently held Sakura against him as he jumped from Haniyasu's back before picking her up bridal style.

"This hideout is exactly like the last one," Fudo told Pain. "The rooms should be furnished with the minimal furniture needed."

Itachi turned and walked towards the main doors, the Akatsuki following him as he opened the door carefully while holding Sakura with one arm and into the main hallway. Itachi walked to Sakura's room and entered the suite with Konan's help. Once he was in Sakura's bedroom, Konan quietly walked out and closed the door behind her. Itachi laid Sakura down on the bed and pulled off her sandals and slowly pulled off her arm guards. He set he shoes on the floor and the guards on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling Sakura up so that she was leaning against him. With a few quick flicks and a tug, he had her armor off and placed it on the floor before laying her back down. He gently tugged off her gloves and laid them over the guards on the nightstand.

He looked at her as she laid peacefully on the bed; her hair shimmering around her on the pillow, her lips parted slightly as she breathed deeply. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips before going and grabbing the chair from her desk and setting it next to the bed. Sitting in it, he allowed himself a moment of weakness and picked up her hand to hold between his. Resting his head on her fingers, he hoped that she wouldn't be out of it too long.

* * *

I floated on a sea of pain even though my body was trying to heal whatever was wrong with it. To my puzzlement, there wasn't anything wrong with my body. I knew that Benzaiten had wounded me, so where was the wound? Suddenly, a part of me said that I wouldn't be able to heal myself; that I had waited too long and the damage was already done. I struggled for consciousness, fighting against the darkness for what seemed like an eternity before reaching it.

My eyes slowly opened and everything was crystal clear in the way that dragon's see the world. My body was screaming in pain that only worsened as I gritted my teeth and turned my head to the side. I was in my room, a single candle lighting it from my nightstand. I narrowed my eyes against the light and looked at the person sitting beside my bed. Itachi sat slumped in a chair beside me, asleep, his breathing slow and even, his body relaxed.

I let out a small, soundless moan as another wave of pain ripped through my body. Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to sit up out of pure will. Itachi didn't so much as flinch at my movement, telling me that he was totally exhausted. I slowly got up and walked out of the room. I briefly noticed that the layout of my room was the same as it had been before and guessed that Haniyasu had summoned it to our new location. I wobbled to the hall door and slowly opened it and ghosted into the hall. I walked through the compound and into the main cave. I heard the heavy breathing of the dragons sleeping off the flight in the smaller caves within the main cavern and sighed. With a huge effort, I summoned a cave at the very top of the cavern and slowly channeled chakra to my feet to walk up to it. Each step was agony as I forced my body to work through the pain when all it wanted to do was quit.

Finally, I reached the cave just as my body gave out. With a few quick hand signs, the entrance to the cave closed with shimmering crystal, a jutsu that I had picked up on a mission. Groaning, I walked a little further into the cave and let the pain mix with chakra as I changed into my dragon form. My wings lay limply over me, the left on burning as if on fire. I could feel the blood seeping out of the wounds and down my body to the floor. I counted four deep wounds below my shoulder on my back with numb realization. I let my body collapse onto the floor as my chakra levels plummeted to a dangerously low level. With detached amusement, I realized that I had gone too far. I had used too much chakra in too short of a time span and now, I was gravely wounded and barely had enough to survive. Closing my eyes, I surrendered to the darkness that had been waiting for me on the edges of my mind.

* * *

"Itachi," the breathless, pain filled whimper echoed in his head.

Itachi snapped awake and looked around, searching for the voice that had spoken. As he looked over the bed, he realized that Sakura wasn't there. He sent out a few chakra threads to see if she was in the suite but didn't find anything. "Raiden?" Itachi called out.

He heard a sigh in his head and flinched. "Yes?" came the dragon's voice.

"How are you in my head?" Itachi demanded to know, angry at the breach of privacy.

"When we accepted you, we opened a link to you," the dragon explained. "We can speak with you and find you as we can Sakura."

Itachi growled and shoved the thought aside. "Where is Sakura?" he asked the dragon. "She isn't here." He hated himself for falling asleep when she needed him while the rational part of his mind told him that even he was human and needed sleep.

"How is she not there?" the dragon questioned in a dangerous tone. "She was too injured to be conscious, let alone to walk out of the room."

Itachi growled and stood, his sharingan activated in his anger and worry. "She is stubborn when she wants to be," he hissed to the dragon.

"Come out here," Raiden ordered.

Itachi glared at the wall since Raiden wasn't there and forced himself to walk to the main cave instead of running like he wanted to. Just as he was walking into the main cave a wave of pain flooded his body, causing him to clench his jaw and grip the door until his knuckles were white. He gently rubbed his head as the dragons growled as they felt the pain as well. It was nearly unbearable and only the force of his will kept him standing while the world swam before his eyes. Shaking his head, Itachi stepped through the door and shoved it closed as more pain ripped through his body. Something told him the source of the pain was Sakura. Something was horribly wrong and he needed to get to her, before it was too late.

Itachi walked to the dragons, who were all on the cavern floor, their bodies tense and their tails flicking in agitation. He stood tall amongst them, forcing himself to not show the pain he felt. He had never shown weakness before and he would not begin now. He schooled his features into an emotionless mask and looked up at the dragons in detached silence.

"You have no idea where she is," Fudo stated instead of asking.

Itachi nodded in confirmation. "Before I woke, I heard someone calling out to me," he offered the information without emotion.

"Sakura," Haniyasu murmured. "So where did she go?"

"Why can you not track her?" Itachi questioned in a flat tone, giving nothing away.

Benzaiten growled at his detached tone. "She is blocking us somehow," she hissed at him. "More than likely to protect us. The bond goes both ways. We sense what she feels and thinks, just as she can with us. But when those thoughts or emotions get strong enough, we actually feel them."

Itachi sighed and looked up at the cavern ceiling. He knew that if it was within Sakura's power to protect them, then she would regardless of what it cost her. His eyes narrowed. If she was trying to protect them from the pain she was feeling, yet they all still felt it, then she had to be running out of chakra. He thought about the massive reserves that she had and her excellent chakra control. For her to have run out of chakra, the situation had to be worse then they originally assumed; it had to be dire.

A glimmer at the edge of his vision caught his attention and he looked at the glimmer so that it was in focus. A section of crystal made up a section of the cavern wall near the top of the cavern. His eyes narrowed. That section hadn't been there yesterday. Haniyasu caught onto his thoughts and followed his gaze. Itachi jumped onto his back and together they investigated the crystal. "Oh, little one," Haniyasu murmured in sadness.

Itachi glared at the crystal as a sense of horror began to replace his earlier panic. He could see a silver dragon through the crystal, even though the picture was distorted from the rough crystal surface. Sakura was laying in a pool of blood with her wings limply laying over her. She was sprawled out across the floor, as if she had collapsed before she could get comfortable. His sharingan allowed him to see the blood still seeping from her wounds and the shallow rise and fall of her chest as she took shallow breaths.

"We can't get inside," Haniyasu told him gravely. "With this crystal, we have to be invited in. It must be what she is using to help buffer us from her pain and keep us from tracking her. Even though I am looking at her, I can't feel her."

"She's not even curled up for warmth," Raiden growled as he landed on Itachi's shoulder. "The ground will be taking all her body heat."

Itachi's fist lashed out and slammed into the crystal in an uncharacteristic show of anger. He wanted to be beside her and she was being stubborn and wouldn't let him near her. She was so pigheaded, he though in anger. He knew a few basic medical ninjutsu, he could at least TRY to help her, if she hadn't stopped him like this. But at the same time, he knew that she was doing everything to protect those that were precious to her; just like she always did. It was something that he admired in her; she was always so selfless and he was beyond selfish. He glared at the crystal, as if that alone was enough to break it and let him in while his fingers spread out over it's cool surface. What had she done to him, he wondered. What would he do without her?

* * *

"I am beginning to worry, yeah," Deidara said gloomily as he sat down at the table a few days later.

"It is fucking strange," Hidan growled as he pushed away his food. "Not having her around."

Kisame glanced over at his old partner and noted the tight set of his shoulders. To the outside observer, Itachi looked like he could care less about Sakura not being around, but to those that knew him could see that he was slowly falling part. It was never obvious; it was only seen in the subtle set of his shoulders, the tension of his hands, his eyes. No, Kisame thought, Itachi was affected by Sakura's absence and he knew it was only a matter of time before the younger man snapped.

"Itachi," the faint whisper echoed in his head again. It was like a clock, always sounding each hour, slowly ticking away as Sakura drifted away from him. He ignored the others in the dining room and walked out of the room, no destination in mind. He had had no choice but to fill Pain and the others in on what was happening to Sakura, they deserved to know why the dragons were in particularly dangerous mood. Some had shown a small glimmer of sorrow at the news, proving that they were more human than they made out to be, while others took a little too much pleasure in Sakura's declining health. He had barely been able to restrain himself from lashing out at those members.

A whimper whispered in his head, so faint he almost though he imagined it. Why me, he thought to himself. The dragons didn't hear the voice though Haniyasu suggested that it was Sakura talking to him in a way that only mates could, rather than how she could with them. Sakura was smart, but in this case she was being extraordinarily stupid. He wasn't sure if he wanted to strangle her or hold her so close that she would never get away from him. Sighing silently, he glanced around and found himself standing in the main cavern, just inside the main doors. Fudo was watching Itachi from where he was curled up on the floor.

"Still hearing that voice?" the dragon asked as Itachi approached him, the man taking carefully controlled steps.

Itachi nodded and watched the dragon in detached curiosity, much like how he would look at an enemy before slowly taking them apart, weakness by weakness.

"Climb onto my back," Fudo ordered. "I think that Haniyasu is correct in thinking that Sakura is talking to you in a way that we cannot hear. I think that you can help her."

"How?" Itachi asked coolly as he leapt onto the dragon's back.

"I want to check something first," Fudo told him as he stood. "Then I will tell you." Itachi held on with a small flair of chakra as Fudo jumped into the air and flew up to hover before the crystal. "Look."

Itachi bit the inside of his tongue and looked through the crystal. He felt the same anger and helplessness he felt the first time he found Sakura. She hadn't moved and the pool of blood around her seemed to slowly grow as time passed. He was about to look away when his name sounded in his head again, a little stronger this time. His eyes narrowed as he saw Sakura's eyes flutter before slowly opening. Her eyes were dazed and pleading, as if begging for something she didn't have the strength to ask for. He could see the effort it took her to keep her eyes open, to struggle against the reprieve of unconsciousness.

"Itachi," she called out weakly to him.

"I figured that she was trying to invite you within the crystal," Fudo explained.

"She isn't healing," Itachi stated flatly as Sakura closed her eyes.

"You would have to talk to Izanagi and Shinigami. They would be the only ones that would know how to help her," Fudo told him. "She is more in their territory than ours."

"What does that mean?" Itachi questioned as he watched Sakura.

"As elemental dragons, we can heal so long as we are together and the person is not close to death," Fudo explained. "Once the person crosses that line, only Izanagi and Shinigami can heal them. They control life and death, from which all life comes from."

"I have no knowledge of how to get to them," Itachi told the dragon.

"You have to summon a portal to their world," Fudo murmured. "Once you have their permission, a portal will appear and lead you to them, but as far as I know, only Sakura had been successful in summoning one."

Itachi began pooling his chakra, closing his eyes to focus better, when Fudo suddenly dropped from beneath him. The ruby dragon flew into his cave and shook his body, signaling for Itachi to get off of him. Silently jumping from his back, Itachi walked further into the cave and continued to pool his chakra.

"Itachi," Sakura called to him again weakly,

"It is alright," he soothed her in a soft tone. "Everything will be alright."

"Hurry," she urged quietly, her voice weaker.

Settling his hands into the seal of the ram, Itachi focused on his chakra and released it with a quick command. "Izanagi! Shinigami!" he called in his thoughts as he released the chakra. He waited patiently as his chakra flared and dissipated with no affect.

Just as he was about to send out more chakra, he felt a shift in the natural chakra around him. He opened his eyes and watched as a faded outline of a door appeared before him. As it began to fill in, he heard indistinct whispers in a language that he had never heard before and low growls underneath the words. Once the portal was completely opened, he stepped through and onto the faded path on the other side. The portal snapped closed behind him and he slowly walked down the pathway, keeping an eye out for the two dragons.

"About damn time," Shinigami growled as he saw Itachi approach. "You do realize that Sakura is dying, right?" he asked sarcastically when the man remained silent and appeared unmoved. Shinigami knew better than that though. He was creator of everything dark and evil, he could sense the killing intent that Itachi held back with a fragile thread. "And you obviously don't even care about her. Not enough to save her."

Itachi glared up at the dragon with hate-filled crimson eyes. "And what would you have me do?" he asked the dragon in a deadly calm voice. "I know nothing of how to heal besides a few medical ninjutsu to stop superficial bleeding. I cannot heal wounds and, if what Fudo says it to be believed, nothing I can do would save her. That power lies with you. So why don't you heal her?"

"Why you insignificant little-" Shinigami started.

"Enough," Izanagi cut in. "Now is not the time. The longer we argue, the further she gets from all of us. Itachi, you will have to heal her."

"And how will I do that?" Itachi asked icily. "Shall I suddenly become an expert in medical ninjutsu?"

"No," Izanagi stated flatly. "You will have to heal her as her mate."

"And how does that work?" Itachi asked as his temper came dangerously close to snapping.

Shinigami's eyes narrowed. "Stop fighting it," he ordered.

"Fighting what?" Itachi growled in a rough voice.

"Your dragon form," Shinigami hissed. "Let go of the anger you feel, let it surface."

Itachi was about to reply with a cutting remark when a searing pain began in his chest, cutting off his breathing, and his anger ripped from his control. The pain quickly spread and his bones and muscles screamed in agony as they shifted and grew. He bit back a scream but as the pain grew one ripped from his throat.

"The more you fight it, the more it will hurt," Izanagi instructed, his voice faint as if he was standing a long way away. Itachi felt something pin him to the ground and opened his eyes just enough to see the white dragon's talons holding him down.

Another scream ripped from his throat as more pain ripped through his body as it shifted in agonizing slowness. Sakura hadn't seemed to be in pain when she shifted the other day. She seemed almost at peace, so why did this hurt him so much?

"Itachi, " Sakura called as his pain increased. Itachi latched onto her voice, focusing on it more than the pain of his body. "Relax," she told him. "It will go smoother if you don't fight it."

He clenched his teeth to keep from screaming again. "How did you stand it?" he questioned her.

"It is harder for you because we haven't bonded yet," she told him. "The more you fight it, the more it hurts." He groaned as fire seemed to burn his body, his skin crawling as scales formed and his back shuddering as wings grew within his body. "Focus on me," Sakura ordered with a little bit of strength in her voice. "Only on me."

Itachi forced his mind to ignore the pain and followed her order. He thought about watching her for days before sparing with her. He remembered how she looked that day while swimming in the pond, care free and happy. He thought about how she smelled when he held her close, how she tasted when he kissed her, how she looked at him like he was her entire world. She was his anchor as much as he was hers. She was his.

Suddenly, the pain stopped and his body felt completely normal. He opened his eyes and looked around, taking in the world with a clarity that went beyond what the sharingan was capable of seeing. The world was shaded in tones of black, he hearing was beyond anything he had experienced before as he could hear the two dragons' hearts beating and their breathing. He looked down at himself and took in his dragon form. His talons were a neat ivory, his scales were a dark silver, and his body heavily muscled. He glanced back up at Izanagi and Shinigami. "How?" he asked.

"Each dragon has a mate," Izanagi stated plainly. "This is the mate to her dragon. Her pain called it to the surface and your anger allowed it the outlet to manifest. You are the opposite to her, a darker silver to her light."

"You are neither life nor death, neither white or black," Shinigami picked up. "Now you will be able to heal her."

Itachi glared at the two dragons. They had intentionally provoked him, hoping for a reaction to unleash his dragon. He wanted to be angry at them but he was simply more irritated than anything else. He knew they only wanted to help Sakura, not play games with him. Well, Izanagi didn't; he wouldn't put it past Shinigami. "Tell me what I need to do," Itachi demanded as a part of him began to panic as he felt Sakura begin to slip away from him. She spent more strength than she had helping his through the transformation. He needed to get back to her, quickly. She didn't have much time left.

* * *

He did it, I thought weakly as I released Itachi and felt the last of my chakra fade away. He was a dragon and maybe Izanagi and Shinigami could teach him how to heal me, if there was a way to do that. I was a medic and I knew that I had long passed the point of no return for normal medical means. If I was going to survive, I needed a miracle.

I sighed and drifted in the darkness. It felt like a black hole was pressing down on me and it took everything that I had no simply not give into it and let it crush me. I needed to keep fighting; I needed to let Itachi have a chance to get to me. I couldn't give up yet. I needed to trust that Itachi would get to me in time, so I kept fighting the darkness. But with each passing hour, I could feel it gain ground as I lost more strength and drifted closer to death.

I felt a brief stirring in the bond I could feel beginning to form between me and Itachi, pulling me from my thoughts. Good, I thought to myself as the darkness took another inch from me. Izanagi and Shinigami were teaching him something; there was a chance for me to survive. I just needed to keep fighting.

I didn't know how long I had been fighting the darkness since there was no way to tell time in the void. All I felt was pain and exhaustion as I held onto my life. I smiled as I thought about what Naruto would do if he saw me like this; probably scream at me that I couldn't give up, that I couldn't lose now. But being a medic had taught me that defeat was an inevitability sometimes. I had lost many patients while in Konoha, and it never mattered how hard I fought for them. Sometimes death was stronger. I knew that I wouldn't survive long. I just hoped Itachi would make it in time. He had to, even though the odds were stacked against him, and I had to do my best to hold on for him. I made him a promise, and I wouldn't fail to keep it. He deserved better than that.

* * *

Itachi sprinted down the path before him to the portal in his human form. He could feel Sakura steadily slipping away. He now knew the dangers facing them, knew that he was her only chance. He leapt from the portal and stumbled into Fudo, who had been waiting patiently for Itachi to return. Itachi corrected himself and ran past the dragon. He was nearly to the mouth of the cave when Fudo caught onto his thoughts and leapt out of the cave, grabbing Itachi as he flew past. Fudo quickly ascended to Sakura's cave and hovered before it. Itachi gently placed his hand on the cool crystal and pushed against it.

Nothing happened for a moment before the crystal slowly began to pull back from his hand. "Sakura," he called out in his mind. "I...ta...chi," was the weak reply that he got. She was fading and fading fast. Itachi glared at the crystal as it slowly opened for him. Once it was wide enough for him to get through, he leapt from Fudo's grasp and inside the crystal as it began to close once again.

"Save her, Itachi," Fudo told him a second before the crystal sealed him out.

Itachi nodded and walked towards Sakura. Her once bright scales were now a dull gray, her breathing was shallow and slow, and blood still seeped from the wounds on her back. He stopped at the edge of the pool of her blood on the floor and summoned the change. It came to him easily now, only a small twinge of pain. He opened his eyes to see Sakura stirring, her eyes fluttering open.

"Itachi," she moaned, her eyes pleading and dull.

He moved closer and gently rubbed his nose along her head. "I am here," he promised her.

"It hurts," she told him as she closed her eyes.

"I know," he comforted. "Don't go to sleep." He could feel her pain echoing in his body. "I need to move you to help you."

"Okay," she breathed quietly, almost silently.

Itachi didn't waste a moment. He approached her tail and gently grasped it in a talon to move it so that it was coiled around her body. He could feel her pain flair but shoved his feelings aside. He needed to save her and time was of the essence. She was already too close to death for him to be sure that this would work. Once he set her tail down, he approached her head and very lightly settled his claw around the base of her head. He could feel her stiffen out of instinct when she felt his grip tighten so that he wouldn't drop her, but not so tight to cut off her breathing. He moved as fast as he could to turn her so that she was curled up like she should be to conserve warmth. With her body curled up in a ball, he walked behind her and curled around her; his tail wrapping around hers and his head settling next to hers. He lifted a huge wing and gently laid it over her like a blanket.

Sakura shivered as his body warmth seeped into her body. She pressed against him even though the shivering caused her more pain. Closing his eyes, he curled his body tighter around her and summoned his chakra, molding it around them. Taking a deep breath, he hummed and let the chakra soak into her body to heal her. Sakura tried to jerk away from him and roared in pain as his chakra entered her body. She begged for him to stop, pleaded for him to just let her go so that the pain would end. He hardened his heart against her pleas, knowing that dragging her back from the brink was a very painful process.

Izanagi and Shinigami had warned him that the further from life she was, the more it would hurt her to be pulled back. It wasn't a natural thing to be pulled back from death so the body fought against it. But, they had cautioned him, once he started, he couldn't stop. To stop was to kill her himself. So her held her tightly to him and hoped that she would forgive him one day. He was far too selfish to live without her.

The pain was excruciating. I felt the rumble in Itachi's chest as he healed me, but this pain was worse than death. Death would be a blessing in the face of this. I thrashed against him even though I ordered my body to stay still. I pleaded with him over and over, though I tried to bite back my cries. I knew that he felt guilty for hurting me more, but I also knew that he wouldn't stop. He wouldn't let one of his precious people go without a fight.

I tried to relax my body but it wouldn't help as the pain increased even more. I tried to make it easier for him and fought for control. I pushed all thoughts out of my head and tried to remember the good times. I tried to distract myself with thoughts of how he would hold me as we laid together at night, just taking comfort from one another. I struggled to focus on how we would spar with each other just to be close to each other. I wanted to think about how he kissed me and touched me as if he couldn't get enough of me. I was suddenly struck with the ironic thought that I was trying to relive my life with Itachi while I was so close to death and I lost my hold on my focus.

I screamed. I couldn't help it anymore. I screamed and writhed against Itachi as he tried to heal me. I begged him to let me go even though he wouldn't listen to me. With one last scream, the darkness won and I fell into the pain free world of black.

Itachi heard her heart stop and panicked for the first time in his life. He forced more chakra into her body, praying that her heart would start beating again, that she would come back. He heard the dragons roar as they felt her loss.

"Itachi," Shinigami roared in his head. "She's gone. Its no use trying to heal a dead body."

Itachi ignored him and fought to bring Sakura back from death. Finally, he exhausted his chakra reserves and the rational part of his mind caution him to stop or he would lose his own life. Sasuke still needed his protection. He couldn't join Sakura no matter how much his heart ached too. But he had also made a promise to Sakura. He had promised to keep her safe and he had failed her. He roared in pain and held her body to his. His mind went blank. The world already was darker without her and he would never be able to climb from that darkness without her to help him. He would ensure that Sasuke was safe and then... Then he would find a way to Sakura, regardless of the cost.

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't hate me for that ending guys. I promise this is not the end of the story, not by a long shot. Honestly, I didn't think I would get another chapter to you all so soon but I was bored and procrastinating on school work. I'm such a horrible student. Please REVIEW and let me know what you all think. I will try not to do any more cliffhangers, though I make no promises :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The world was darkness, silent and still. I was finally free from the pain. My footsteps quietly echoed around me as I moved forward. I tried to remember what had happened for me to end up here. I remembered Itachi trying to heal me, his huge warm dragon form wrapped around me, and then nothing. It was all just gone. I looked around the darkness and tilted my head in confusion. I had no idea where I was and that was a scary feeling. Shaking my head, I decided to not worry about it and wondered further into the darkness.

* * *

Itachi lay curled around Sakura for a while before coming out of his empty thoughts. She couldn't be gone, but her body was an empty shell. But he still felt her, the bond between them still existed. He thought that it would disappear with her. Curious, he followed the fragile bond into the darkness where Sakura used to be. The darkness screamed death; the stillness, the silence, the lack of anything made him wary of following her too deep but he needed her. She was his and he was not going to give her up yet.

He wanted to be angry at her, but he knew that the body could only take so much pain before dying. She didn't want to go, he knew that, but her body had given up before she had. If their bond would lead him to her, then he would follow it and bring her back. He needed her and so did the rest of the world.

The thread of their bond thinned the further from their bodies he got, nearly fading out in some places. He wondered where she was going as he walked further into the darkness. Finally, he saw a faint light shinning in the dark, the bond leading him towards it. He cautioned himself against hope but moved faster to try and catch up with her. The closer to the light he got, the brighter it became before it engulfed him entirely.

* * *

This must be heaven, I thought to myself as I looked around. The fresh spring grass was soft beneath my bare feet and a gently breeze blew through my hair. It was warm here but not so warm that it was hot. It was the kind of day that I loved to curl up with a book in the shade of a tree and read. I walked by a clear stream, loving its soothing song, and looked up at the clear sky as I paused on its bank. Smiling I looked at the water and took in my reflection. I was wearing a deep sapphire grown that fell in graceful lines to the ground. Thin straps held the dress up with a deep neckline, showing a fair amount of cleavage. It hugged my body and accentuated my curves. The color made my hair seem lighter, my skin tone smoother, and my eyes a more vibrant green.

Sighing, I looked around. As beautiful as this place was, it was lonely. Shaking my head, I continued walking along the stream as it wound between trees and hills, reminding me of the Konoha. I wasn't hungry or tired, nor was I depressed and confused like I had been in the darkness. I was simply at peace. I didn't know how long I had been walking when I found a small clearing that was perfectly round. A cascading waterfall shimmered over the rocks and fell into a pool that fed the stream I was standing next to. The soothing sound of the falls made me sleepy and I found a tress near the stream that provided the perfect amount of shade to nap under. Laying down, I watched as the breeze danced through the leaves, adding their song to the water's, and fell asleep in peace.

* * *

Raiden was in a foul mood. Sakura was dead and Itachi had closed himself off from them. Pain had attacked Konoha against the dragon's advisement and was struggling to recover from the battle. The Akatsuki was in chaos and the entire mess wasn't going to get better anytime soon. He watched as Kisame entered the main cavern and walked towards Fudo, who had just come down from trying to reach Itachi, again.

"How are they?" Kisame asked the ruby dragon quietly.

"No change," Fudo replied with a sad shake of his head. "Sakura is dead, only her bond with Itachi tying her to this world. It thins each day. Itachi stupidly followed it." the dragon sighed. "If it breaks before he returns, then we will lose him too. How is Pain?"

"Slowly regaining consciousness," Kisame informed the dragon. "Konan will not leave his side."

"And the others?" Fudo questioned.

Kisame shook his head. "Orochimaru is becoming a problem," he replied before looking up at the crystal cave. "We need both of them back."

"We will be lucky if we get Itachi back," Fudo growled as he laid down. "It would take a miracle to being Sakura back. She is too far gone."

"One can hope," Kisame stated as he turned and walked away.

Fudo watched the man leave and sighed. Even if a miracle did happen, Sakura would be too weak and dependent on Itachi for a while. He truly wanted her to return but he saw no point in voicing such hopes when they would more than likely never happen. But that didn't stop him from hoping in his thoughts.

* * *

"Sakura," someone called. Something was shaking my shoulder. "Sakura, wake up." There was a tone in the voice that almost sounded like pleading. Who was sad in such a beautiful place? I tried to open my eye but the music of the stream made me so comfortable that I struggled to do so. "Please wake up," the voice whispered as the shaking on my shoulder increased. I pulled my eyes open and looked up at the person above me to see familiar onyx eyes and long hair.

"Itachi?" I asked as I sat up, still half asleep.

"I'm here," he replied a small smile gracing his lips.

I blinked up at him before wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "Itachi," I smiled as I hugged him happily and threw my weight against him. "I am glad to see you here. Isn't it so beautiful? Its perfect." I pulled back as I felt his body tensed and looked up at his face. A sad light was in his eyes as he watched me through guarded eyes. "What is it?" I asked quietly.

He gently cupped my face in his hands and watched me as he spoke quietly. "What do you remember before coming here?"

I tilted my head in confusion while relishing in his touch. I searched my memory. I remembered wandering in the darkness but nothing before that. I knew realized that I was forgetting something very important, something about how I came to be here, but I couldn't remember what it was. "I don't remember anything but darkness," I told him as a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. "What happened Itachi?"

He pulled me close to him, his arms wrapping around me as if he was never going to let me go. "You were hurt while training as a dragon," he began, his voice soft and rough with worry. "And you couldn't heal yourself. You tried to protect us by hiding from us but by the time that I could get to you, you were gone." His grip tightened around me. "You are so stubborn and I am entirely selfish. I couldn't let you go."

I stilled as memories suddenly filled my head. The joy of flying, the rush of battle, the pain of a wound, the darkness of death. I shook my head and looked up at him. "We can't be," I whispered. "I can't be..."

He pulled my head into the hollow of his neck and held me there as I began to cry. Even as I denied it, it knew that it was true. I was dead, or so close to it that there was no chance of returning, not on my own. "I'll bring you back," he promised fiercely in my ear. "Somehow, I will." I trusted Itachi enough to believe him and nodded. Slowly, the sound of the stream and falls crept into my mind and I began to feel sleepy, but I was terrified to fall asleep again. I shook my head to clear the drowsiness and fidgeted against him. Itachi noticed my struggle and kissed my forehead. "Go to sleep," he murmured. "I will not let you drift away from me." I tried to fight it but the lullaby of the stream was too great and my eyes drifted closed as I fell into an uneasy sleep.

Itachi watched as Sakura fell asleep in his arms and, once he was sure that she wouldn't wake up again soon, he stood with her cradled in his arms. Turning, he let his instincts guide him back to the land of the living and their bodies. Strangely, he seemed to return faster than it took to find Sakura in the first place and he sighed as he settled into his body again. He made sure to keep a firm grasp on Sakura's soul and summoned is chakra. Sending it to her body to make sure it was still healthy for her, he gently guided her soul back to her body. It resisted at first before relaxing into place causing her heart to start beating again.

Itachi slowly pulled his mind out of hers and opened his eyes. He lifted a wing and looked down at her perfectly healed body. Her scales shimmered brightly as her life was restored and she breathed deeply on her own as she slept. Sighing, he laid his wing back over her, curled around her, his heart easing as it knew that she was safe again, and releasing his chakra.

He dozed for a while, letting Sakura sleep while making sure that she was safe. The sound of wings pulled him from his doze and he looked at Fudo as he hovered outside the crystal to check on them. He nodded at the dragon and watched as Fudo's eyes sparkled with happiness and relief before he disappeared from view. Sighing, Itachi lowered his head and curled back around Sakura, deciding to continue dozing until she woke up.

I had the feeling that I hadn't moved for awhile. My body was that sore stiffness that often came after I crashed after I pushed too far into chakra exhaustion. I felt Itachi's large, warm body curled around me protectively, his dragon size nearly twice my own size. Sighing, I stretched against him, trying to work out some of the stiffness in my muscles, evoking a hum from Itachi. "Awake?" he asked softly, his voice vibrating through my body.

"Hmm," I acknowledged as I settled against him again. "I'm sore."

"Hn," he grunted as he pulled me against him. I smiled as his breathing began to even out. Itachi hated mornings more than I did, often staying up late into the night to do what he needed to do.

Sighing, I opened my eyes and stared at the crystal. "How long?" I asked him quietly.

"Nearly five days," he replied in a whisper. "I let myself grieve for a day before I followed you into the void. It took longer than I thought to find you and bring you back." He paused for a moment before a growl rumbled in his chest. "Never do that again."

I smiled and laughed. "I will do my best," I promised him. "Let me see what you look like."

He chuckled as he stood behind me, willing to sate my curiosity. He knew that I didn't want to talk about my near death and that I was changing the subject. "You did see me before," he laughed.

"Not really," I murmured quietly.

He was silent for a moment before walking around me. I shivered as he moved away, my body instantly missing his warmth. Once he was standing in front of me, he looked down at me with amusement in his onyx eyes. "Happy now?"

I looked up at him and tilted my head to the side. He was dark silver and huge, nearly twice my own size. His powerful body was packed with sleek muscles as he towered over me, making me feel fragile next to him. I watched as his muscles smoothly shifted beneath his scales as he shifted his weight and shuffled his wings. His long powerful tail flicked back and forth in playfulness. "Let me see your wings," I demanded.

He sighed before complying and spreading his wings as far as he could within the cave. The membrane of his wings looked like leather, dark and smooth, and I could tell by the cramp wrinkling in his wings that the span would probably be twice mine. I dipped my head in a beckoning motion and he stepped forward. I watched the muscles shift easily as he moved to stand before me and looked down at me. I lifted my head and gently rubbed my nose against the membrane of his wings, feeling the smooth, soft, warm skin against my snout. Itachi growled softly, the sound beginning deep in his chest and vibrating through the air and into my body. I skimmed my nose across his wing to where it connected to his back and then up to his shoulder. His muscles shivered slightly beneath my light touch and his growl deepened.

I glanced up at him, pausing at the base of his long neck. He had curved his head around to look at me through hooded eyes, watching me with a heated gaze. I flicked my tongue across his scales and let my breath ghost across the damp scales, making him shudder.

"Sakura," he growled in warning as I moved up his neck and finally rubbed my nose against the underside of his jaw. With a deep growl, he stepped closer and pushed my head down with his. "My turn," he said in a deep voice that wrapped around me like velvet. I let him push my head down until it was resting on the ground near his talons. He skimmed his snout along my forehead and then down my neck before nuzzling the hallow at the base of my neck, making me shift restlessly as I felt my body heat at his touch. He laughed huskily as he moved to the base of my wing and gently pushed beneath it, tickling me. He nipped at the tendons around the joint before moving across my wings.

Sakura's body was warm beneath his nose, a vital sign of her living. Her scent scattered his thoughts as he gently traced the fragile bones in her wings. She shivered when he began to lick and blow warm air across the thin membrane of her wings, a faint growl beginning to form in her chest. He worked his way under her wing, letting it rest on his neck as he gently rubbed her side as he worked down to her belly. Sakura's growl grew more pronounced as she pushed against his touch, the sound sending sparks along his nerves as he longed to have her in her human form so that he could kiss her senseless. He pushed a little harder against her belly and began to move backwards toward her elegant tail, watching smugly as her talons curled closed. He glanced back at her, smirking inwardly as he noticed her watching him with a dazed look in her eyes. Reaching her hind leg, he slowly licked up the strong limb and growled as her eyes drifted close in pleasure.

My body was singing with pleasure as he touched me and explored my dragon form. He was going to drive me insane with his slow and light caresses. He moved up my leg and then along my back towards my wings again. I squirmed restlessly as he nipped at the joint of my wing, my tail curling around my body and the tip flicking in pleasure. I couldn't keep my eyes open as he played my body like a well known instrument. But then he suddenly stopped and pulled back. My entire body tingled, every nerve awake and waiting for his next touch. I growled at the loss and glared up at him.

Itachi was tense as he looked out the crystal wall, his body alert and protective before me. Shoving my desire into the back of my mind, he would pay for this later; I followed his gaze and froze. A giant snake head swayed on the other side of the crystal, it's tongue flicking against it. I could see the flashes of color behind the snake's head as dragons chased dark lines that I knew were other snakes. "Orochimaru," I cursed as I tried to stand. Unfortunately, my body was weaker than I thought it was and I sank back onto the stone floor.

Itachi glanced down at me, his eyes a burning crimson. I distantly cataloged that he could use his sharingan in this form and met his gaze. "You are not strong enough yet," he said coolly, though the gentleness in his eyes eased the sting of his comment.

I looked back at the snake waiting outside and watched as a figure appeared on the snake's head. "I need to shift," I told Itachi. "He is after me. I won't let him hurt anyone else."

Itachi glared down at me and narrowed his eyes. "Don't," he warned again. Ignoring him, I summoned my chakra and closed my eyes as I shifted into my human form. Once I had changed, I slumped onto the ground as I felt exactly how weak my body was. I pushed against the floor to lever myself up as I tried to get up. Itachi lowered his head and stepped closer to me. "I will take care of him," he growled as I continued to struggle to stand. "Don't harm yourself any further." Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and shuddered. I had no choice. I imagined myself standing in front of a gilded gate within me, cool water beneath my feet. With no option left, I reached up and unlocked the seal.

"Don't let her change," Shinigami shouted in Itachi's head as he watched Sakura's form begin to blur. "She doesn't have the strength that she thinks she does." Itachi stepped forward and reached toward Sakura before a furry of black feathers hid her from his view and a burst of chakra pushed his talons back. When the feathers cleared, Sakura seemed to be standing before him, but she was different.

She wore low rise black leather pants that clung to her elegant legs like a second skin, black heeled boots guarded her shins, and a small strapless top covered her full breasts while straps of leather crossed her middle. Great black wings had sprouted from her back and were held proudly behind her, the tips dragging slightly on the ground. She showed no emotion on her face and her emerald eyes were hard and emotionless. She stood distant from those around her, uncaring of them, and a coldness seemed to surround her. Itachi lunged for Sakura just as she leapt towards Orochimaru.

My senses were incredible, stronger and sharper than they were when I was in dragon form. I could feel the deadly power flowing through my body as I dodged Itachi's grasp and flew towards the crystal. A quick flick of my wrist exploded the crystal wall outward and I tackled Orochimaru with my shoulder, flinging him from his perch on the snake's head. I heard Itachi roar behind me but I didn't glace away from my prey. I hovered as I briefly took in the chaos in the cavern.

Dragons fought giant snakes while Akatsuki members fought smaller snakes on the floor when yet even smaller, regular snakes slithered beneath their feet. The giant snake that Orochimaru had been perched on twisted and caught his master before lowering him to the floor. Narrowing my eyes, I tucked my wings in close to me and dove for the man. At the last second, I snapped them open and caught myself as I landed with sword in hand.

"Well my dear," Orochimaru started as he took in my appearance. "Is this the trick that you have been hiding?"

"I am more powerful than you will ever know," I growled at him, my voice light and musical but laced with a steel edge of hate. Orochimaru smiled and I launched myself towards him, my sword aimed at his heart. He blocked my strike with a kunai so I twisted and lashed out at his side, ignoring the small snakes striking at my legs.

Itachi watched as Sakura and Orochimaru twisted and turned around each other in a deadly dance. His eyes narrowed at the sight of snakes trying to bite her and he took a deep breath to burn some of those snakes to a crisp when Raiden appeared before him. "Don't" the small dragon warned him.

"I will help her," Itachi growled at him.

Raiden shook his head. "They can't break that armor," Raiden told him. "But Sakura is too weak to withstand the smoke from the fire. Let her fight this one. She may not recognize you as a friend."

Itachi hissed but looked back at Sakura. He would let her fight until he thought she needed help. He watched the deadly grace that Sakura possessed as she twisted and turned around Orochimaru's attacks. He would have thought that her wings would get in her way but they seemed to help her more than they hindered her, hiding her movements from Orochimaru until she was ready to strike. He felt a strange hunger grow within him as he watched her fight, not holding back as she did in spars with the other members in training. She was glorious in a fight, singularly focused on her opponent while maintaining a sense of the battlefield. He couldn't wait to have that focus on him. He wanted to spar with her like she was fighting now. He knew that it would be worth the cuts and bruises.

Orochimaru's sword sliced my side with a shallow bite. I felt the cut sting but ignored it as I lunged at him. He smirked smugly as he blocked my strike. I dropped my blade, aiming for his leg, before twisting up under his guard towards his heart. He glared at me as he struggled to block the strike, the edge of his blade sliding down mine before cutting into the cross guard. We both a had a number of shallow cuts from barely blocked strikes, both of us singularly focused on one another. I never noticed the small black, shining snake that had come up behind me and risen until it was level with my hip. Orochimaru lunged left as the snake struck right; it's sharp fangs sinking into the exposed skin of my hip. I felt the sting of the bite and my sword clashed with Orochimaru's and, with a quick twist, I shoved Orochimaru away and cut the snake just behind its head, killing it.

Orochimaru backed away with a laugh as I knelt down and ripped the snake's fangs from my skin. "My work here is finished," he said with a smile. With a quick hand sign, he and all of his snakes disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I glanced back at the Akatsuki members as they slowly approached me, the adrenaline of battle still rushing though my system. I narrowed my eyes at them as Itachi roared and flew down to land between me and them with a growl.

"You didn't think this through," he growled at me as he stopped right in front of me, his head a few inched from my body.

"He needed to be stopped," I hissed causing the others to freeze at the sound of my voice. "He isn't allowed to hurt anyone else."

"And your injuries?" he countered. "You were reckless and foolish."

"It does not matter," I said coolly, a deadly edge entering my tone. "It had to end. I will heal." Closing my eyes, I wrestled Demon back into her seal and slammed the gilded gates behind her, before she could take control again. I felt my wings slowly sink back into my skin and shuddered as Demon's powers followed her into the seal. Opening my eyes, I turned to walk towards my room and took one step before I felt it. The snake's venom spreading throughout my body, slowly seeping into each cell. I swayed but narrowed my eyes and kept going.

"Sakura," Itachi called, his voice holding the command for me to look at him.

I ignored him and kept walking, gritting my teeth as my body began to burn and sweat as it tried to purge the venom from it. My vision began to blur and I felt myself fall towards the floor. I felt strong, familiar arms wrap around my waist as Itachi caught me.

"Was she bitten?" Fudo asked, his voice coming closer. I felt my chest constrict as the poison reached it, my lungs not wanting to expand so I could breathe.

I felt Itachi turn me in his arms so that I was facing him. I felt his breath ghost across my heated skin, his hair tickling as he leaned over me. I felt his fingers glide across my skin before settling on my hip where a few trickles of blood seeped from the bite. "Yes," Itachi said flatly, his voice betraying nothing, though his fingers tightened around me.

I heard Fudo begin to give out orders but I didn't hear the words. I forced my eyes to open and looked up at Itachi. To anyone else, he didn't look like this affected him; but I knew him. His jaw was slightly clenched, the corners of his eyes a little wider than normal, his gaze struggling to hide his worry behind the crimson of his sharingan. I tried to smile at him to reassure him but I could tell that the expression didn't come through. My vision began to fade to black as he whispered something to me. I didn't hear his but watched his lips as they formed the words. I fell into the darkness as I realized what he was trying to tell me, as I realized that he had begged me to stay with him.

Sakura's body fell limp in Itachi's arms. He felt the extreme heat burning her body, felt the rapid pulse of her heartbeat against his fingers and the slickness of her skin as she tried to fight the venom in her body. Standing, he held her securely against him and carried her from the cavern with Raiden on his shoulder. "We need to cool her body temperature down," Raiden observed. "It getting too high."

Itachi nodded and shoved open Sakura's door before walking straight to her bedroom where he gently set her on the bed. Kisame followed him in with a bowl of ice water and set it on the nightstand. A quick glance between them sent Kisame from the room to fetch Konan, who was with Pain helping him recover from his battle with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, while Itachi began wiping a cold cloth across Sakura's face and neck.

A few moments later, Kisame returned. "She won't leave Pain's side," he informed the raven-haired man who sat beside Sakura, a cool cloth in his hands, and he tried to sooth a thrashing woman.

Itachi nodded and glared at the man until he left. He knew that they needed to strip Sakura so that they could cool her as quickly as possible but he wouldn't allow Kisame to be in the room for that. Itachi placed the cloth back in the bowl of water and sat Sakura up, leaning her against his chest. He quickly pulled off her shirt and armor and dropped them beside the bed. Her creamy skin glimmered in the candlelight and he hesitated to take off her bindings. Deciding that she would be okay with them on, he gently laid her back down and yanked off her shoes and pants, leaving her underwear. He picked up the cloth and began to bath Sakura's hot skin, trying to cool her even as she began to shiver violently. The longer he worked, the more Sakura thrashed until he was forced to stop and hold her still.

"This is not working," he growled at Raiden who was sitting beside the water on the nightstand.

Raiden leapt onto the bed and crawled down to the bite on Sakura's hip, running his shout a hair's breadth away from the wound. "I don't recognize the venom," he murmured as he closed his eyes. "And neither do the others. We need an antidote and fast."

Itachi covered Sakura with blankets and cursed. "We need Tsunade," he said flatly.

"She can't talk to us," Raiden said. "And we are not willing to leave Sakura. How will you ask her?"

Itachi stood and looked down at the women he loved. "I will ask her," he said plainly. He gently caresses Sakura's cheek before turning from the room, leaving Raiden to watch over Sakura.

"Where are you fucking going?" Hidan asked as Itachi emerged from Sakura's apartment and walked past the other members.

"We need Tsunade of the Leaf to heal Sakura," Itachi stated flatly as he continued walking towards the cavern. "She is the only one who can create an antidote quickly enough." Before anyone could stop him, he entered the cavern and summoned the change, leaping into the air before his dragon form was fully completed. He flew from the cave and sped towards Konoha as fast as he could. He flew over the memorial mountain and looked down at the devastation that was Konoha. He growled and cursed Pain as he took in the great crater that had decimated the village in varying depths. He circled the village and dove towards a waving figure near the Hokage tower. He glanced at the people in the group, taking in that most of them looked like they were Sakura's age, before he spotted Kakashi, Naruto, his younger brother, and a blond woman that had her arms crossed as she watched him with an amber gaze.

He quickly landed and stared at the amber eyed woman. "Who are you?" she demanded in an authoritative voice.

"Wow," a brunette with her hair in buns exclaimed as she began to circle Itachi. "A dragon. So cool."

"Interesting," a man in a green jumpsuit said as he eyed Itachi. "I have never seen one before."

"EH?" Naruto exclaimed in astonishment. "I thought they only existed in legends."

"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said quietly to the amber eyed woman, his voice low enough that the others did not hear but Itachi's sharp hearing picked up. "Didn't Sakura have a dragon summon?" he asked.

Tsunade nodded and watched Itachi thoughtfully. "But she left the village, so why would one be here now?" Itachi narrowed his eyes at Tsunade. It seemed Sakura's mission was as classified as Tsunade could make it. He doubted anyone beside Tsunade and Jiraiya knew the truth of it. "Did Sakura send you?" Tsunade demanded.

Itachi inclined his head as the group fell silent around him. "She joined the Akatsuki, didn't she?" Sasuke asked as he glared at Itachi.

A quick glare from Tsunade ended his little brother's questioning. "Why?" Tsunade demanded.

"I came to request help," Itachi told her evenly, letting a small edge of respect leak into his tone for the Hokage. "She couldn't come herself, so I came in her stead."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "You are human?" she asked. Itachi nodded once. "Then shift."

Itachi glared at the woman for a moment but knew that time was of the essence and let his body shift back. He immediately began gathering chakra as the group stared at him in a multitude of emotion.

"Itachi," Sasuke growled as he took a step towards him, stopping when Kakashi held him back by a firm grip on the young man's shoulder.

"Why are you here, Uchiha?" Tsunade demanded.

"Sakura needs you," he answered smoothly. "She has been poisoned."

"Why?" Sasuke demanded as Tsunade's eyes narrowed at his answer.

"This does not concern you, little brother," Itachi stated coolly as he watched Tsunade.

"The hell it does," Sasuke growled. "Now answer me."

"Not now," Itachi ordered as he watched worry begin to creep into Tsunade's eyes. She knew that he wouldn't risk this unless he had no choice. She knew that the fact that he was here, willingly, meant that Sakura was in grave danger.

"Yes," Sasuke said softly. "Now."

Itachi glanced at his little brother as he broke from Kakashi's grip and leapt at him, kunai in hand. Itachi bent back, avoiding the blow, but Sasuke followed him, eager to fight. Itachi narrowed his eyes and let his eyes bleed crimson as his anger rose. If Sasuke wanted to do this now, then fine. But Itachi had no intention of dying yet. He had too much to live for now.

* * *

I woke up slowly, the world blurry before me as I struggled to focus on something. I moaned as the my surroundings swirled around me.

"Good, you are awake," a soft voice said beside me as the sound of water being displaced reached me.

I opened my eyes and glanced to the side, taking in amber eyes and blue hair. "And that's good?" I asked sarcastically as I noticed how hot my body was but how freezing the room seemed.

"It means that you are not dead," she replied as she rung out a cloth and wiped my face off to cool it.

I pushed myself up, shivering as the blanket slid down to my waist and looked down at my bare body. "Where are my clothes?" I asked as I tried not to let the world spin.

"Itachi took most of them off," she told me. "I did the rest. Your body temperature is still too high. You need to rest." She gently placed a hand on my shoulder and tried to push me back onto the bed.

"Where is he?" I asked as I resisted her touch.

"You need to rest," she told me. "He will return soon with the antidote from Tsunade."

I froze as I took in her words. Itachi was in Konoha. He was around Sasuke, who didn't know the truth and wanted him dead. I pushed myself up and stumbled to my dresser. "Sakura, you need to rest," Konan cautioned as she steadied me as I grabbed the first clothes I could and pulled them on. "The more you move, the faster the poison spreads."

"I know that," I growled at her as I pulled on a cream nightgown and turned to run out the door. I shoved my way though the other members as I heard Konan follow me.

"Sakura!" Konan called. "Wait!"

I ignored her and ran towards the cavern. I could feel the rapid spread of the venom as I burst into the cavern and knew that I didn't have long before I lost my grip on consciousness. Gritting my teeth, I shifted into my dragon form and leapt from the cave and into the sky. The sky was dark as I raced towards Konoha, a thunderstorm brewing. I could see the flashes of fire ninjutsu as I approached the village and felt my heart sink as my worst fear was realized as I crested the mountain. The village was in shambles and Itachi and Sasuke fought against each other with deadly intent. A large network of lightning flickered in the clouds above Sasuke, who raised a hand up that was flickering with Chidori. I dove as I realized his intent, just as he called down the lightning from above. With a desperate burst of speed, I managed to land between them and shift while placing everyone in the area in a genjutsu. I redirected the lightning towards me just as I settled into my human form.

The pain was excruciating as the full force of Sasuke's jutsu slammed into me, breaking my fragile hold on consciousness though I somehow managed to hang on by a small thread. When it was over, I fell to the ground, focusing all my strength on the genjutsu and staying consciousness.

Itachi stopped fighting as he felt a powerful genjutsu settle over him. He was going to kill Sakura when he got his hands on her. He knew that if she had him in a genjutsu, in her state, she was there and probably had taken that massive jutsu that Sasuke had aimed at him. Sasuke leapt at him, unaware that he was in a genjutsu, when a crystal prison suddenly appeared around him, stopping his advance. Sasuke banged his fist against the crystal and let out a cry of rage. "Let me out," he demanded of Itachi.

Itachi watched him. "I cannot," he told the young man. "It is not my jutsu."

Sasuke snarled. "Then who's is it?"

"Sakura's," Itachi replied.

"I thought you said she was poisoned," Sasuke snarled.

"She is," Itachi said flatly as he tried to disrupt his chakra to dispel the jutsu to no avail.

"Sakura did this?" Tsunade called from a little ways off.

Itachi cursed as he realized that Sakura had done more than simply stop his fight with Sasuke. She had stopped anyone around them as well. Itachi nodded and closed his eyes, reaching for Sakura through their bond. "You are in so much trouble," he growled when he felt her mind.

"I know," she whispered quietly. "But that attack would have killed you."

"And what is it doing to you?" Itachi demanded. Sakura was silent. "Release us."

Sakura didn't answer but he felt the slow relaxing of her chakra around him. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the village and Sakura was laying on the ground a few yards in front of him, between him and Sasuke. He took in her quick, shallow breathing and sweating body and knew that she had pushed herself too far again. She was wearing a thin cream nightgown that was burnt on the edges, the skirt much shorter than he knew that it should be. He leapt over to her and pulled her into his arms. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you," he demanded softly in her ear.

She laughed weakly. "You love me," she said simply before moaning in pain.

Itachi cursed and tucked her head into his neck. As much as he wanted to strangle her, he knew that he wouldn't. She slowly looked up at him and smiled before closing her eyes and leaned against him.

"Smart girl," Tsunade said from behind him as she knelt next to him, a green glowing hand reaching for Sakura. "She tried to seal off the poison to buy some time."

"I am known to pay attention sometimes," Sakura murmured softly before she lost her grip on consciousness.

Itachi turned and looked at Tsunade, an eyebrow raised in question. "She must really trust you, to let you that close," the woman observed as she examined Sakura. "Hurt her, and you will answer to me." Itachi nodded and narrowed his eyes. "I will help her. But we need to get her to a safe dry place."

"Tsunade-sama, we cannot help her," a pale eyed, brown haired man said flatly. "She betrayed us."

"Baa-chan," Naruto spoke up, beginning a rampage.

Itachi looked up and glared at the blonde man. "She is the only reason that you are still alive," he told the Jinchuuriki. "She has been stalling us from searching for you. You should be thanking her, not condemning her."

"Thank doesn't change the fact that she betrayed the village, Itachi-san," Kakashi murmured.

Tsunade ignored the people around her as she looked at the Uchiha that held her apprentice gently in his arms. "Do you have a place that we can take her?" she asked, drawing his attention.

Itachi looked at her with crimson eyes and nodded. "Our compound," he stated. "You will be safe."

Tsunade nodded and stood as everyone else stepped forward. "We will be coming," The brunette from earlier spoke up.

Itachi shook his head. "I cannot carry all of you," he told them.

"Only Shizune, Team 7, and I will be going," Tsunade ordered as she stepped back from Itachi.

Nodding, Itachi changed and carefully held Sakura in his front claws. He laid down to allow the other people to climb onto his back. Sasuke paused by his shoulder and glared up at him. "Only for her," he murmured with a possessive tone. Itachi glared at his younger brother but focused back on Sakura. She was the one that really needed him. Once everyone was settled, he leapt into the sky, barely able to clear the trees and mountain due to the extra weight. He rushed them back to the compound as fast as he could, determined to not waste a single second that Sakura had bought him.

* * *

I drifted through the darkness, my connection to Itachi the only thing that allowed me to observe the real world. He was walking down the hall to the main cavern when Raiden appeared on his shoulder. "How is she?" he asked Itachi.

"Tsunade-san doesn't know what the poison is," Itachi replied. "She believes that Orochimaru created it like Sasori created his. She in analyzing it now."

"He would have the know how," I murmured in Itachi's thoughts.

He tensed and shook his head, amusement filling his thoughts. "Trying to sneak up on me?" He asked in his mind as he sent warmth to me.

Raiden felt Itachi tense and looked at him with a knowing gleam. "She is in your mind, isn't she?" he asked.

Itachi nodded and Raiden flew off, letting us have a moment. "Can we fly?" I asked quietly.

Itachi smiled and walked into the cavern before changing. I felt the raw power of the dragon flood his body, felt his pleasure at the power filling him with strength to protect those dear to him. He moved gracefully, despite his size. I felt the play of his muscles as he leaned back on his hind legs and jumped into the sky. He turned south and flew towards the ocean, simply picking the direction until I indicated a direction I wanted to go in.

"I am trying," I told him after a few moments of silence. "I am doing my best to slow it down."

Itachi nodded. "You are strong, Sakura," he said softly. "Stronger than you give yourself credit for, but you keep pushing further than you should."

I sighed. "I can't help it," I told him. "I won't let anyone fight my battles anymore. I won't let myself be weak anymore."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," he repeated.

"I'm sorry I keep doing this to you," I murmured to him. "I try to hold it together, but I think I fail epically."

"That is what you have me for now," he replied. "Let me help you. I'll never let you go."

"I know," I whispered as I let my mind settle into my own body again. I needed rest and to heal. I felt Itachi sigh as he felt me drift away and he turned back towards the compound with a final wave of warmth for me to wrap myself in while I healed.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done. I tried not to leave this as a cliff hanger this time. I hope you all like it and please REVIEW so that I know what you all are thinking. I can't improve if I don't know what you all are thinking.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Just a heads up, this chapter will be seen mostly from Itachi's point of view. I ask you, my dear readers, to provide feedback on what you think of Itachi's view point. Now without further interruptions, enjoy my next chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 10

Itachi let Sakura fade back into her own body. He knew that she needed rest so that she could heal. A glorious sunset painted the sky before him in brilliant colors of crimson, gold, pinks, and purples as the sun sank below the horizon. It was the kind of sunset that he had loved watching as a child, the peaceful hour when the air itself seemed golden in color, when the village began to quiet as the day came to an end and families came together. Over time his eyesight had deteriorated with the use of his sharingan and he hadn't been able to enjoy those sunsets, but now in his dragon form, he could once again watch them. He had always enjoyed the stillness that came with such sunsets, welcoming the silence of night and, as he grew older after the massacre, the darkness that hid his tears.

He stilled his wings as he ghosted over the landscape and thought about Sakura. He imagined them away from everything that posed a danger to them, laying in an open field filled under the shade of a cherry tree in full bloom and making love. He could imagine her skin beneath his calloused fingers as smooth as silk as he caressed her, her exotic hair spread out beneath her on the grass, the unique color contrasting against the green grass that only emphasized the brilliant color of her eyes. He imagined how she would respond to his kisses and how he would relish each sound he drew from her as he-

"Itachi!" Fudo called in his mind, breaking his pleasant thoughts.

Itachi growled in annoyance. "What?" he asked as he dove with a draft of air.

"You need to be here," Fudo replied with a urgent tone in his voice.

Itachi frowned as he flew faster towards the compound. He was curious as to what could put that tone in the dragon's voice but then again, Fudo was much like the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki in the way that they were both enthusiastic to an annoying degree sometimes. He dove into the compound and landed with a quiet thud, looking around at the empty cavern. He glared up at the cave that he could sense the dragon in. "What is it?" he asked in a monotone.

Fudo was about to answer when a shrill scream pierced the air around them and Itachi froze. "She needs you," Fudo said as the air fell silent again.

Itachi shifted and walked quickly towards Sakura's room, struggling to hold back his killing intent. He brought Tsunade here to help Sakura, not cause her more pain, and he wouldn't let her go through more pain than she already had. He briefly noted the crowd of people around Sakura's door as he weaved his way through them as Sakura screamed again. The sound was pure agony, a sound that he had never heard outside the third great ninja war, a sound that he had hoped to never hear again let alone from someone he cared about.

He was reaching for the door when a hand clamped down tightly on his shoulder. Itachi turned and glared with a blood red gaze at the man who dared to stop him. Kakashi simply stared back, unafraid. "Don't," the man said harshly. "Tsunade-sama is doing what needs to be done."

Itachi glared at his former teammate. The man had been there for Itachi when he needed him and had taught him much in their time in ANBU, but know was not the time for Kakashi to reignite that bond. Itachi had changed a lot over the years and Kakashi had to know that, but he still risked his own welfare to stop Itachi. Sakura screamed again and Itachi tensed, preparing to break from Kakashi's hold. "You cannot stop me," Itachi told him.

Kakashi glared at the younger man. "Maybe," he replied. "But despite your bond with Sakura, I will not let you hurt either of them. Tsunade-sama knows what she is doing. If you go in there, you will be in the way and that will only harm Sakura more."

"He is right, Itachi-san," Konan said as she approached with Pain leaning on her. "Tsunade is the best medic in the world and Sakura is one of her apprentices; she will not fail. Pain is often what tells us where there is an injury; Tsunade needs Sakura to feel so that she knows what is broken."

"If you go in there," Pain picked up. "You will be driven to stop Sakura's pain, hindering Tsunade's healing of her."

Itachi turned his glare to Pain. "I have more control than that," he countered.

Pain nodded. "You do," he conceded. "But not when it comes to the well being of those you care about."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the man. It was possible that over the years Pain had worked out that there was more to his story than Itachi had given when he entered the Akatsuki. Itachi had never really hidden the fact that he kept an eye out for Sasuke; he had been careful but didn't work to hide it and Pain was a smart man.

As Itachi glared at Pain, Naruto and Sasuke walked up, the former holding a bowl of ramen in his hands. "Oi, whats going on?" he asked. "Why is Sakura screaming?"

Kakashi sighed and released Itachi while Deidara stared at the blonde. "Are you stupid, un?" he asked.

Naruto glared at him. "No," he retorted as he slurped up a mouthful of noodles. "And why are you all standing around Sakura-chan's door?"

Sasuke snorted and crossed his arms with a small shake of his head. "Dobe," he muttered under his breath.

"Many outside this organization believe us to be heartless monsters," Pain told the Jinchuuriki. "That we live simply to kill and further our own goals. The truth is that we are much like any other shinobi team in any other nation. We are a family that cares for one another. Sakura was a much needed missing piece to us. We are here for her, regardless of the fact that we may not be able to really help."

Naruto nodded and continued to slurp at his ramen. He knew that Sakura was more than likely in over her head on another ANBU mission that only Tsunade knew about. The fact that Tsunade hadn't resisted Itachi's request for aid was a large hint that there was something unknown going on. He was much smarter than most people gave him credit for but he used that to his advantage. When it came to those he cared about, hell had nothing on what he was capable of doing. Sakura hadn't abandoned them like Tsunade had lead them to believe. She had been protecting them.

Suddenly, the silence in the air changed, causing all of the shinobi to take notice and watch the door expectantly. The silence was one that every shinobi feared and, on some level, hated. It was the silence that was often found on a battlefield after the fighting was done and only the dead and weary living remained. Tsunade opened the door to Sakura's room and walked out with Shizune on her heels. She took one look at the crowd around Sakura's door and sighed as she meet Itachi's blood red gaze. "I would suggest a place to sit down," she murmured tiredly.

Pain nodded and lead the way down the hall to the dinning room. Once there, they slowly began sitting down though Itachi chose to lean against the wall instead, watching Tsunade as she sank into a chair and briefly closed her eyes. "Well, baa-chan?" the Jinchuuriki asked in annoyance. "What is wrong with Sakura-chan?"

Tsunade glared at the blonde before beginning. "I have not seen a poison like this before," she said slowly. "I know Orochimaru's poisons well, the same with Kabuto's, but this is something new. Somehow Orochimaru has figured out how to target very specific chakra gates, the ones that are most closely integrated with vital organs. This poison is very different from his other ones."

"How so?" Konan asked quietly.

"Orochimaru has extensive knowledge of how the human body works, which is why he is able to experiments like he does, and he has used that knowledge to create poisons that work specifically on the body without touching the chakra network. This poison utilizes the chakra network to target key vital organs. He is disrupting the flow of nutrients and energy to and from key organs to slowly kill those organs. Without those organs, a human cannot survive.

"So she is dying?" Naruto asked seriously, his body tense and his eyes sparking with small flecks of red. Itachi could see the faint mingling of the Kyuubi's chakra with Naruto's own and wondered if the young man could control it.

Tsunade nodded. "Her body is failing."

"Which chakra gates?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"All of them," Tsunade said evenly. "But Sakura's body is fighting the best it can. But only one or two need to fail for her to die. The heart, the lungs, kidneys, vital components of the brain and spinal cord..."

"Can you help her?" Itachi finally asked in a firm monotone.

Tsunade looked up at the man that was closest to her apprentice, her amber eyes fearlessly meeting his red ones. "It is a gamble and highly risky. I would need a blood sample to better analyze and neutralize the poison without having to worry about the affects within the body to derive the components."

Itachi nodded. "I can get it," he told the blonde, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"That would be best," she replied. "Considering what has happened, you would be the best person to keep her calm."

Sasuke cursed and stood, walking out of the room with a clenched jaw and fists. Itachi watched his younger brother go, not feeling a single ounce of remorse for taking Sakura for himself. From what Sakura had told him, she hadn't felt anything but camaraderie towards Sasuke since she asked for his retrieval mission. Kakashi sighed and followed the younger Uchiha out of the room.

Tsunade glared at the doorway. "Brat needs to learn manners," she grumbled.

"He knows them," Itachi stated flatly. "He simply chooses to not use them."

"It is understandable though," Konan remarked. "Considering that you are his brother, Itachi."

"Eh, what are you talking about?" Naruto demanded as he leaned forward against the table.

"Sakura was engaged to Sasuke, but I believe she realized her mistake," Tsunade said quietly. "She can only marry once and I believe that she found her other half here in the Akatsuki."

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to look at Itachi. "So she is engaged to you now?" he asked incredulously.

Itachi felt the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. "No."

Kisame laughed. "It couldn't be more official though. You two already act like you are married."

Itachi glared at his old teammate and sighed in irritation. Pushing himself off the wall, he approached Tsunade and held his hand out wordlessly for the vials that he needed to collect Sakura's blood. "I will need to come let you in, Raiden will not let you inside. I'll be there in a few minutes. I want her to rest a little before we disturb her again," She told Itachi.

Nodding, Itachi left the room without a word. Tsunade watched him as he left, taking note of the subtle tension in his shoulders and the controlled way that he walked. She knew that Sakura was the Dragon's Jinchuuriki and all that it entailed, including having a true mate. She knew that Itachi was already closely bound to Sakura, so closely that should Sakura die, Itachi would not be far behind her. Raiden had filled her in on how Sakura had already outlasted any other Jinchuuriki before her, even at a young age, and that she and Itachi would be good for the world. They both knew what it was to suffer and be shunned, much like Naruto did, but both of them had found the light at the end of the tunnel where Naruto had never lost that light. The world needed someone to guide them back to the light as well as someone who would keep them there. Tsunade knew that Sakura and Itachi were the guides while Naruto would keep the flame burning; they were two sides of the same coin.

"Be patient with Itachi," Kisame said, pulling the formidable kunoichi from her thoughts. Tsunade looked at the blue man and arched a single brow. "Sakura had a brush with death before all of this happened. Actually, she was recovering from that when Orochimaru turned and was already weak. Itachi does not like feeling helpless."

"Neither does Sakura," Konan observed quietly.

Tsunade smiled. "She can be stubborn when she wants to be," she stated with a small amount of amusement. "But that stubbornness is part of what has driven her this far. It will not be long before she surpasses me."

"She is much better than any of us, un," Deidara grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Particularly in genjutsu."

Kisame laughed. "It's so flawless when she uses genjutsu. Itachi is an expert in genjutsu but Sakura puts him to shame sometimes. You cannot break her's either; she has to let you go."

"I didn't know that she could use genjutsu that well," Naruto grumbled in annoyance.

"Sakura is a natural genjutsu type, Naruto," Kakashi said as he walked back into the room. "Its seamless and real; you hardly even know that its happening. She doesn't need seals or eye contact either."

Naruto shook his head with a smile. Leave it to Sakura to have hidden talents that no one knew about until the last minute. "She better get well soon," he murmured.

"She will," Tsunade promised. "She always does."

* * *

Itachi leaned against the wall next to Sakura's door with his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. Nothing seemed to be going right and they just kept getting worse. He felt for every step forward that he took, something shoved him back two steps. He tried to sense Sakura like he had before but felt nothing and that worried him. She was too close to death again.

"Ready?" Tsunade asked as she approached him.

Itachi stood and nodded. Tsunade approached the door and flew through a complex series of seals before smacking her hand on the door. A burst of markings flew from beneath her hand and the edges of the door began to glow and the seal released. Tsunade slowly opened the door and lead him to Sakura's room. Once there, she held up three vials. "This should be enough," she told him. "Fill one from her carotid artery, one from her chest, and one from her abdomen. I want to see the progression of the poison. Be sure to close the wound before going to the next."

Itachi nodded and took the vials as Tsunade opened Sakura's door and stepped aside. Itachi walked into the dark room as Tsunade closed the door behind him and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. A single candle was lit on Sakura's nightstand and it barely kept the darkness at bay. He could feel Sakura's faint awareness against his skin as her chakra observed the room around her, searching for anything that could be a danger to her. He could barely hear her shallow breaths even as he ghosted across the room without a sound. She shifted away from him as he approached the bed, seemingly unsure as to who he was.

Itachi frowned as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Its only me," he whispered softly as he brushed some of her hair back from her face. Her skin was slick with sweat and burned beneath his fingers. With a silent sigh, Sakura's breathing slowed slightly as she relaxed under his touch as he gently ran his fingers through her hair and she leaned towards him. Itachi let a small smile curl his lips as he relished in her trust of him. The only other person that had trusted him like this had been Sasuke when he was a toddler and had fallen asleep in Itachi's arms.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Itachi let his hand drift from Sakura's hair to her neck where he gently brushed her hair away from where it was stuck to her skin. He slowly let his finger shift into a talon before gently pressing the tip to the steady beat of her pulse on the side of her neck. Crimson drops of her blood welled around his talon as he pulled it back and pressed the edge of one vial to the wound to encourage the blood into the glass. After a few seconds, he had the blood he needed and capped the vial before summoning a small bit of chakra to his fingertips and sealed the small wound on Sakura's neck. He placed the full vial on the bedside table and slowly wiped away the blood staining Sakura's skin with a cloth that Tsunade had been using to keep her cool.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly pulled the covers down and bit back a curse at what he could see. The area around her heart was crisscrossed with a complex network of dark distended veins. He slowly let his fingers ghost over the veins and shuddered when some of them pulsed at a faster rate than her heartbeat. He suspected that such veins were a part of her chakra network, proving that the poison had already progressed further than anyone had suspected. He chose a vein that pulsed in time with the beat of her heart beneath his palm and quickly pierced the skin holding back her blood, which oozed black and red around his talon. He quickly gathered the blood and sealed the wound before moving to do the same on her belly, where the blood was black. He covered her with the blanket and gently kissed her forehead before collecting the vials and walking out of the room.

Tsunade was waiting for him in the hall to Sakura's room, looking at a painting that Sakura must have hung recently. The painting depicted a beautiful valley with crystal clear blue skies, tall majestic mountains, and a sparkling river flowing in the base of the valley. A castle was nestled against the mountains at the end of the valley with a village at its base, overlooking fields and pastures. And scattered amongst the clouds, a few dragons flew in happy flight. "I heard tales from the Third when I was younger," Tsunade started. "About a place where legends were real and mythical beasts lived. A place beyond what we could imagine. It wasn't until I became Hokage and read his notes that I began to think that there was any truth in his stories." Itachi simply watched her, waiting patiently for the blonde to continue. "Apparently, Sakura use to talk about such a place when she was young, before her entrance to the Academy."

Itachi nodded. "She occasionally can share her memories with me," he said slowly. "That painting does not do the memory justice."

Tsunade nodded. "She never was a simple child though. Very few picked up on it but those that did grew concerned. She always has seemed to posses a knowledge that surpassed her peers and even a few of her superiors, despite her young age. I didn't know about her being a Jinchuuriki until I read the Third's personal notes about her. By then, she was already my apprentice and I simply kept the information to myself. She had been through too much for me to burden her with more."

"I think she's carried that secret with her for her entire life, just as I have carried my clan's secret," he replied.

Tsunade sighed and looked at him, her amber eyes weary. "I hate that the Third gave you such orders but even I know the wisdom of that particular move. Even you understand."

He nodded and held up the vials for her inspection. "She's fading fast, isn't she?" he questioned.

Tsunade sighed. "When the poison reaches one of it's targets and begins killing it, the blood turns black from the exponential cell death. It gains access to the chakra network through the organs and kills both systems. The darker the blood the more dead that system. If her heart stops, its because the poison killed enough cells that it can no longer function, regardless of what I do. The only way to stop it is to formulate an antidote." She accepted the vials and held them up, glaring at them.

"She doesn't have much time left," Itachi stated simply while his heart froze in dread.

"No," Tsunade sighed as she turned. "She doesn't."

* * *

Tsunade had locked herself and Shizune in Sakura's room to study the poison and formulate an antidote and all the rest of them could do was wait. The Akatsuki were restless and Itachi visited Sakura daily to check on her. With each day that passed, the others could see him grow more hopeless and colder. It had been four days and they all knew that Sakura was just barely hanging on.

"Dammit," Naruto yelled, hurling a kunai at a target in the training hall. "How long does it take to make an antidote?!"

Needing a way to work out the tension, they had taken to the training hall to work out their frustrations. Deidara growled as he dodged a kick from Kisame. "Like we know, un," he growled. "We are not medics."

"Tsunade needs to hurry up," Kisame grunted as he took a hit to the side.

"Way to state the fucking obvious," Hidan growled as he met Sasuke strike for strike.

"Heads up," Pain called casually from across the hall.

Without a care, they all threw themselves towards the walls and out of the way of the two massive dragons as they landed on the floor with a thud. Fudo rolled out from under Itachi and slammed him into the wall. Itachi merely stood and launched himself at Fudo again, sending them across the floor with talons locked and teeth snapping at each other's throats. Itachi had a wild, cold look in his eyes that frightened the Akatsuki. It was a look that they had never seen in the usually mild mannered young man but had all seen in themselves a time or two, usually before there was mass casualties. They all knew that only one thing could reach Itachi in such a state but unfortunately, she was dying.

"I had hoped to never see that look in his eyes," Konan said sadly and Kisame nodded as he watched his partner and friend slowly fade away.

"Do you think he has considered that she may not make it, un?" Deidara asked seriously for once.

Kakashi watched as he old comrade struggled against Fudo, his eye taking in the desperate air around Itachi. "I think that possibility haunts him every minute of the day," he said sagely.

Itachi roared and raged as he battled with Fudo. Sakura was barely breathing and he knew that she would be gone by tomorrow.

"Don't give up hope yet," Fudo growled as he whipped his tail across Itachi's back.

"She's too far gone," Itachi hissed in reply. "And Tsunade is not any closer to an antidote. She will be gone tomorrow."

Fudo narrowly missed Itachi's teeth as Itachi snapped at his throat. Fudo's eyes narrowed as he began to realize that Itachi was too far gone to listen to anyone. He was feral and dangerous to them all. "Pain! Get the others now," he ordered as he shoved Itachi aside.

He didn't watch as the Akatsuki left the hall and focused on Itachi, who was coming at him with killing intent. He was so focused that he hadn't noticed when the other dragons entered the hall.

"What now?" Benzaiten growled as she entered the hall. She took one look at the two fighting dragons and the look in Itachi's eyes before shaking her head. "Never mind."

"We need to stop him," Fudo growled as Itachi briefly gained the upper hand.

"Sad that it came to this," Fujin mused as he circled the two fighting dragons.

"Now would be great," Fudo hissed as Itachi's talon scrapped his side.

"Surround him." Haniyasu ordered carefully moving around the dragons. "We have to trap him."

Fudo shoved Itachi off of him and began to circle the dragon with a growl. Haniyasu settled on the north end of the hall with Fujin on his left and then Fudo, Raiden, and Benzaiten finishing the circle around Itachi. Itachi launched himself at Fudo, but was distracted by Benzaiten biting his tail to keep him centered. Itachi whirled and growled before advancing.

"Tsuchi," Haniyasu commanded as the symbol for earth glowed green beneath him.

"Kaze," Fujin ordered as his symbol appeared.

"Hi," Fudo yelled as he snipped at Itachi's tail to pull him back from Benzaiten.

"Inazuma," Raiden yelled.

"Mizu," Benzaiten shouted.

"Torappu!" they all commanded as the symbols beneath their feet began to glow brightly. Lines of white light connected each of them and then filled in the circle that they had created around Itachi. Itachi roared in outrage as the light rose and created a dome around him. A second later the light had solidified into clear crystal. Sighing, each dragon released their element and backed away from the crystal cage that held Itachi, leaving the dragon to calm on his own. Except for Raiden, who curled up and watched Itachi, who raged and slammed his body against the unbreakable crystal. He tried everything from his talons to fire to break it but the crystal remained solid and unblemished. Raiden quietly watched as Itachi fell deeper into himself and prayed that Sakura would live.

* * *

Their voices came in and out but they never rose above a whisper. I struggled to focus on what they were saying but it was like trying to lift the Monument mountain in Konoha; nearly impossible. "Hopefully this will be it," Tsunade's voice drifted towards me.

"So the temperature was off," another voice concluded. "It's sensitive to certain temperatures." Shizune, I realized faintly. What were they talking about?

"Yes," Tsunade said quietly. "Now to make the final batch, enough for three weeks." There were soft clinks that sounded like glass against glass, as if they were making a solution. I tried to open my eyes but failed miserably and settled for listening to them as best I could.

"I feel bad for Itachi," Shizune said, pulling me from a doze. "Being trapped like that."

I struggled to open my eyes. Why was Itachi trapped? Where was he? I tried to move but my body felt like it was weighed down with cement. "It is for the best," Tsunade sighed. "We have to protect ourselves."

"I had to look over Fudo earlier," Shizune murmured. "It was a clean cut but deep. Itachi got lucky."

"Its harder to guard a bigger body," Tsunade said distractedly.

"How is she?" a new voice interrupted. I wanted to growl in irritation. Why was he here? Where was Itachi? I was quietly plotting his murder as I listened to what was being said.

"No change," Tsunade said briskly. "I am working the fastest that I can, brat." A cool cloth touched my face as the dark chakra suddenly appeared closer to me. I wanted to shove the man away but I couldn't move as he wiped the sweat from my face. I wanted Itachi and I would kill to get to him. "Sasuke," Tsunade growled.

"Hn?" the man beside me replied.

"Go get Raiden," Tsunade ordered flatly. "I have a few questions for him."

I could almost feel Sasuke glare at Tsunade-shishou but he got up and I felt his chakra disappear. I let myself relax and tried to reach Itachi through our bond but found it oddly quiet. Why had he been fighting Fudo? What was going on? The soft flap of wings entered the room and I could feel the warm presence of Raiden, who was trying to share his strength with me. I didn't feel any stronger.

"Yes?" he asked as I felt his body settle along my arm.

"I have the antidote," Tsunade said triumphantly.

"Really?" Raiden asked in excitement. "Why have you not given it to her yet?" he questioned.

Antidote? Poison? I struggled to remember how I had been poisoned before I remembered Orochimaru and his snake, Itachi and Sasuke's fight. I growled to myself. I really needed to stop charging into things without thinking sometimes. "Because the active ingredient is very temperature sensitive. It would not be effective here," Tsunade informed him. "Tell me about the valley that Sakura had painted."

"Dragon's Valley," Raiden said slowly. "What do you want to know specifically?"

"The climate," Tsunade said matter of factually. "From the painting in the hall, I would assume that it is temperate, nothing like the extremes that we can get here but a easy transition between seasons, based off the dense vegetation and healthy fields."

"It can be," Raiden said cautiously. "The mountains guard against the worst of the weather though winter can be heavy with snow."

"What is it like now?" Tsunade asked.

"End of spring but not yet the heat of summer," Raiden answered softly.

"Can you and the others take her there?" she asked. "And how long would it take to get her there?"

"We can only bring Sakura," Raiden answered gravely. "And how quickly we get there depends on how quickly we fly."

Tsunade sighed in frustration. "For this antidote to work, the temperature needs to be perfect. Warmer weather, without the extreme heat of summer, will work with her fever to help her body expel the poison naturally."

"Why not extract it medically?" Raiden questioned.

"The poison is tied too deeply within the organs and her chakra network for me to extract it cleanly," Tsunade stated. "If I tried, I would most likely make it worse."

"Tell me what needs to be done and it will be so," Raiden said with determination.

"Take her to the Valley," Tsunade ordered. "Keep her quiet and administer the antidote. Give her three doses a day for a week and then let her body naturally heal itself."

"We will have to leave Itachi here," Raiden cautioned.

"I know," Tsunade acknowledged.

"Then I will make the preparations," Raiden said as I heard his talons clink against glass as Tsunade handed him the antidote.

No, I thought. I wouldn't leave Itachi and return to Dragon's Valley without him. I fought against my body to try and move, so that I could find him and offer an invitation to the valley so that he could come with me, but I couldn't move. Whatever was in that venom had been in my system too long and had already done its damage. I screamed within my thoughts and struggled within the prison that was my own body. This couldn't be happening, I thought. It couldn't.

* * *

"I am so glad to be home," Benzaiten purred as she leapt across the room and settled on her bed of sapphire pillows.

Fudo laughed and slowly crawled to his own bed, his wings and back sore from the rapid, long flight. The high vaulted ceiling with colorful stained glass windows kept the bad weather out and huge columns of white marble supported the massive structure. Decorative wood doors closed behind Haniyasu, securing their privacy as they all curled up on their beds. The flight back ad been hard on all of them. The miserable weather and heavy storm winds had forced them all to focus on the flight. Itachi had been in a horrid mood when they left and the weather reflected that. Not to mention that the cold wind and rain had nearly sent Sakura straight into death.

"It is almost like it used to be," Fujin sighed as he sank into his pillows.

Haniyasu looked up at the dark sky beyond the skylights. Sakura was in her room with the staff closely following Raiden's instructions. As soon as they had her warmed up, the first does of antidote would be administered and, hopefully, she would begin to recover. The people of the valley were happy that their princess had been returned to them, though heartbroken over her illness. They would do whatever it took to help her back to health and keep things peaceful while she recovered.

Raiden flew through the partially open door and settled in his bed with a sigh. "How is she?" Benzaiten asked.

"A little better," he replied. "We gave her the antidote about fifteen minutes ago and I can already tell that it is making a difference. Her fever isn't rising and I could smell the poison as it was sweated out."

"How long do you think before she regains consciousness?" Fujin asked as he rolled to his side.

"Hopefully soon," Fudo yawned as thunder shook the air outside and lightning streaked across the sky. Slowly, the sound of the rain lulled the dragons to sleep and they hoped for the best in their dreams.

* * *

I stood on my balcony and stared out across the valley. Everything was blanketed by a thick layer of snow. Icicles hung from roofs, doorways, windows, and tree branches; sparkling in the dim moonlight. Snow banked against houses and fences and fell in beautiful flakes. Horses stood in their blankets and nuzzled the snow in their search for grass or hay. Children were being called in from their snowball fights and play for dinner and a warm bath before bed.

I shivered and pulled my blanket tighter around me, shaking my head to dislodge some of the flakes that had settled in my hair. It had been six months since my dragons had brought me here. I could barely remember that first week, but I remembered begging them to return me to Itachi even though I couldn't stand. Each time I asked, they refused. Finally, I shut myself in my room and settled into a depression. I refused to come out or let anyone in. I took the time to gather my strength and heal myself but even then, they refused to return me and I was not quite strong enough to change into a dragon yet.

"You shouldn't be out here," Raiden said gently as he settled on the balcony railing. I ignored him and kept my focus on the horizon. "I know that you are angry but we cannot let you risk yourself." Again, I ignored him. "Sakura, please listen to me," he pleaded as he moved closer.

Silently, I turned and walked through the glass balcony door, closing it behind me so that he couldn't follow me inside. I walked to the fire in the hearth, tossing the wet blanket across a chair to dry and throwing my robe on the bed before settling in a chair facing the flames. The heat melted the snow in my hair and eased the numbness in my toes and fingers. I simply stared into the fire and refused to think of anything. Because thinking always lead to Itachi, and that was too painful to bare.

* * *

Kisame groaned as Konan bandaged his bicep. "Stay still," Konan said in exasperation as she pulled the bandage tighter.

"I wouldn't move if you didn't pull on it so hard, woman," Kisame growled.

"Then be more careful next time," Konan retorted as she finished and sat back.

The Akatsuki sat together in the dining hall, gathered for dinner after training in the main cave since Itachi was still prisoner in the training hall. "How is Sakura, un?" Deidara asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Raiden said she seems better," Pain replied shortly.

"Seems?" Konan asked, narrowing in on the one unclear word.

"She will not leave her room nor will she let others in," Pain replied.

"You mean she is acting like Itachi?" Kisame asked curiously, thinking of his friend who had curled into ball in the crystal prison months ago and hadn't seemed to move since. Pain nodded. "Funny that they are acting the same way, even apart," Kisame noted.

Itachi listened from his prison. With his dragon form, his senses were much stronger and he could hear everything that went on in the compound; he could even detect the chakras of the living creatures on the surface if they were within a certain distance. He curled up tighter at the mention of Sakura and laid his wing over his head, trying to close the world out. He felt a small flutter in his bond with Sakura and leapt at it, only for it to slip away again. She was too far away for him to contact though he felt a brief surge of desperation. He knew that she was just as desperate to reach him as he was her and that frustrated him to no end. He growled and the crystal walls vibrated from the sound.

Approaching footsteps echoed down the hall as they walked up to the prison.

"Itachi, look at me," Konan called. "Please."

He took a moment to consider ignoring her but Konan was nothing if not determined, it was better to hear her out so that she would leave faster. He lifted his wing and glared at her though the crystal. Her eyes reflected back grief and sadness but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"I am sorry that this had to happen this way," she murmured.

"Why?" he challenged shortly, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"Because I wish that I could help," she replied honestly. "I don't like seeing you like this and I know that Sakura isn't doing any better."

"Hn," he replied flatly as he stared at her.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" she asked desperately, earnest in her desire to help.

Itachi watched her for a moment before sighing. He couldn't reach Sakura through the bond but Konan and Pain had been getting updates from Raiden since Sakura had left. If he couldn't reach her himself, maybe Konan would be willing to help. "Write her a letter for me," he told her simply.

Konan's eyes lit up. "What would you like me to tell her?"

"Just that I love and miss her," he replied softly as he laid his wing back over his head.

"Raiden will be here soon to update us. I'll get him your letter," she told him even though she couldn't see his eyes. "It will be okay, Itachi."

Itachi ignored her and listened as she quickly left the training hall. Itachi sighed and growled again. He wanted to tell Sakura himself, he thought sulkily.

* * *

"Sakura," Raiden called from outside my door. "You have a letter."

"Go away," I mumbled.

"Konan told me she would skin me if I did not personally give this to you," he replied through the thick wood of the door.

"I don't care," I said in a dead voice as I stared at the fire.

I heard him sigh and the soft shuffle of something sliding under my door. "I'm leaving now," he told me before I heard his wings carry him away.

I kept staring into the fire. Why would Konan send me a letter? I wanted to hear from Itachi, not Konan. I tried to reach for him through the bond again but didn't get anything but a faint push and the faint image of a letter. Growling, I stood and snatched the letter from the floor. I quickly opened it and stared at the writing.

 _Itachi said that he misses and loves you._

I felt a tear slide down my cheek and walked to my desk to sit down. I traced the words gently and longed to be in his arms when I suddenly had an idea. If I could somehow gather the strength to shift, I could fly to Itachi. Smiling slightly, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick message to Itachi before sealing it and sliding it under my door. A few moments later, I heard Raiden return and his talons gently scrape the stone as he picked up the letter before flying off.

I walked to the center of the room and closed my eyes, focusing on shifting. Opening my eyes, I looked down at my talons before my body forced me back to my human self. I smiled and hugged myself. I needed more strength but knew that I could do it. Soon, I'd be back in Itachi's arms.

* * *

"Itachi," someone called as they entered the training hall. Itachi curled up tighter and tried to return to his dream. "Itachi," they called again.

Itachi growled as he felt the dream slip away.

"Sakura wrote back," Konan said softly.

Itachi hissed and lifted his head to watch her closely. "What did she say?" he demanded to know, his eyes narrowing in on the paper that Konan was holding with a smile.

"She says that she loves and misses you too and that she will see you soon," Konan replied happily.

Itachi's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything. He nodded at Konan who in turn walked out of the hall. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. Just what was Sakura planning, he wondered as he settled in to return to his dream, where Sakura was already in his arms.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that it took so long. Life happened and it hasn't slowed down until now. Please let me know what you think of this and I will try to have the next chapter to you soon. And like always PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Wow almost 250 views on the last chapter in the first day. I'm going to assume that means that you all like it and I will keep going. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 11

The bright half moon lit the valley, it's light reflecting off the fallen snow. I quietly listened to the stillness of the castle that only occurred in the small hours of the morning when everyone was asleep. I eased out of my bed and grabbed my thin robe, pulling it on over my satin nightgown as I walked to the balcony door. I silently opened and closed it before ghosting across the snow to the railing. I could barely feel the coldness of the snow beneath my feet or the iciness of the rail as I placed my hands on it, my body warm with hope and, for the first time in a long time, strength. I looked out over the valley and then up at the moon. The sky was a deep, midnight blue with millions of stars shimmering in the distance. I smiled as my breath formed clouds before me and a part deep inside myself stirred and rose to the surface.

I gently lifted myself onto the icy railing and balanced there for a moment. Closing my eyes, I took a breath and jumped into the air. I felt a brief moment of adrenaline as I fell before my body shifted and my wings drove me high into the sky. I bit back a roar as I felt the warmth of my fire fill my body with heat against the cold sky and flew from the valley. I was sure to keep my strength in check since it was a long flight and I knew that it would be all too easy to lose my recently gained strength by pushing myself hard. I felt a little more at ease as I flew over the open ocean but began to fear someone discovering my escape as the sky began to brighten with the faint coming of dawn. I pushed myself a little harder, determined to reach Itachi without delay.

My body flew automatically as my mind wandered. I was happy to be closing the distance between Itachi and I. When I saw him, I knew that I would curl up beside him and finally feel safe as I took a nap to recover from the long flight. I wondered what had happened after I had been bitten. What had happened to Itachi while I was gone? How were the others? What would happen when the dragons found out that I had slipped their guard? I frowned at that last thought. I knew that they cared but keeping me for so many months wasn't like them. They had been hiding something while I was recovering and I had a feeling that I was in the center of whatever it was.

A day passed as I flew and, before I knew it, night had fallen again and I began to recognize the landscape beneath me as I passed over it. Just as the moon reached it's peak, I passed over Konoha. Smiling, I reached out with my mind and searched for a friend. "Konan?" I called out quietly, feeling her jolt awake.

"Sakura?" I heard her reply in confusion.

"Can you please open the door?" I asked as I eased down into the main cavern. I tilted my head as I gazed at the main door to the hide out. "You added a seal that is new to me."

"Why?" she questioned even as I heard her walk through the complex towards the door.

"You will see," I laughed as I sighed as my muscles began to shake now that they were not being worked. I had pushed too far, I thought in amusement as I felt exhaustion begin to settle into my body.

Slowly, the door glowed before opening and Konan stepped out, her eyes widening when she saw me. "Sakura!" she cried quietly, rushing towards me. Smiling, I shifted and swayed as my body began to complain about the abuse of a long flight. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me in welcome. "Oh Kami," she whispered excitedly as she pulled back and steadied my shoulders. "I am so glad to see you. How did you get here?"

I pulled back and smiled ruefully. "The same way I left, I suppose," I remarked drily. "Where is Itachi?"

I watched as she tensed and her expression became sympathetic. "Its not pretty," she warned.

"I want to see him," I told her quietly, a little bit of steel in my tone.

She watched me for a moment before nodding and turning to lead me into the complex. Once inside, she re-sealed the door and lead me down the halls to the training hall. Once inside, I froze at the sight before me. A crystal dome, the kind that dragons only used for the worst of the worst, shimmered in the middle of the hall. Itachi was in his dragon form, unable to shift until the crystal was broken, curled in on himself looking uncharacteristically broken. A spark of fury blazed through me. How could they do this to him, I wondered in anger. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Konan give me a nod before returning to her room with Pain. She knew that I needed time with Itachi alone, that I was the best chance at pulling himself out of his mind.

"Itachi?" I called out quietly as I glided across the floor. He tensed and curled up tighter, ignoring me. "Itachi?" I called again.

"Go away," he whispered quietly.

I stopped at the edge of the crystal and gently placed a hand on the cool surface. "Itachi, look at me," I ordered. He ignored me again. Sighing, I summoned my chakra and poured it into the crystal to break the seal. Once the seal was broken, the crystal seemed to melt into the floor as if it had never been there to begin with. I slowly walked forward, easing around to where his long neck disappeared under his wing. "Itachi," I whispered as I gently placed my hand on the warm scales on his neck.

He leapt up, unfolding himself like a jack in a box, and launched himself at me faster than I could follow. I was so startled that I simply let him come at me with extended talons and knock me down to pin me with his claws, holding me prisoner beneath his weight. He glared down at me and growled. "Why can no one do as I ask?" he wondered, almost to himself. "Why can I not be left alone?"

I looked up at him, meeting his enraged and confused gaze. I could see the ocean of hurt that he so desperately tried to hide and I opened my mouth to try and ease his pain, but nothing came out. Closing my mouth, I felt tears build in my eyes and flow over my cheeks. I watched as the rage slowly leaked out of his body and his breathing slowed, deepened as he took in my scent. A wary light entered his eyes, as if he was trying not to hope too much. "Are you really here?" he asked in a near silent whisper.

I nodded. He closed his eyes and shifted to his human form. He knelt over me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him, and buried his face in my hair. His breath was a warm caress across the edge of my ear causing goosebumps to erupt on my neck as warmth flooded my body. "You're here," he whispered in a horse voice. "You're really here."

"I'm here," I assured as I wound my arms around his neck and hid my face in his shoulder. I closed my eyes and let out a breath that I hadn't realized that I had been holding as I began to relax and exhaustion beat harder at my mind. My body and subconscious were telling me that everything was alright and that I was safe to finally relax and sleep.

I vaguely felt Itachi gather me in his arms and carry me out of the training hall. He shifted me as he mumbled under his breath to open a door and lock it behind us before carrying me s short distance and laying me down in a bed. I tiredly opened my eyes and glanced around, taking in the familiar shapes of my room as he stripped down to his boxers and laid down beside me. I turned onto my side and felt him settle in behind me. He wrapped his arms around me, one under my head and the other pulling me closer to him, and settled a leg over one of mine. I felt my breathing even and slow as I felt his heartbeat against my chest and I linked my fingers with his and held on tightly.

He read the tension in my body and pulled me closer. "I'm here. You're safe," he reassured me. "I'll never let you go again."

I nodded slowly. "M'k," I murmured quietly, already half asleep.

He chuckled and kissed my hair. "Go to sleep," he ordered gently. "I'll be here when you wake up." I was too far gone to answer him, or argue, so I settled in and let my body relax as I fell into the first restful sleep that I had had in a long time.

* * *

Itachi laid quietly beside Sakura, listening to her soft breathing. He wondered about what would happen when the others discovered that he wasn't trapped inside the crystal or when the dragons discovered Sakura was missing, if they hadn't already. He smiled at his imagined reactions of the dragons, all hell breaking lose before they came for her. Sighing, he sat up a little and looked down at her. She looked a lot better than she had months ago. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her pale rose lips slightly parted as she slept, and only the dark circles under her eyes betrayed that she was not perfectly well. He knew that she probably hadn't slept well since she had left and that she needed that rest to finish healing. He ran a hand up her side along her waist, taking in the soft white nightgown that she was wearing. He slowly brushed a few strand of hair from her face and ran his fingers through her silky hair, re-familiarizing himself with the texture. Sakura sighed and sifted closer to him, pressing back into his warmth. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She was his and he longed to tie her to him but kept his hunger in check. He needed to let her get back on her feet before he let his hunger lose on her. His smiled changed into a masculine smirk as he knew that she would match him in his desire.

Sakura moaned and tensed, pulling him from his desire-filled thoughts. Her eyebrows were pulled together, her jaw clenched as she shook her head. Suddenly, she twisted away from him and then back, knocking the breath from his lungs as she began to thrash against an unseen enemy. He felt her fear through their bond and pulled her closer to him, trapping her smaller frame with his to still her. He sent calming thoughts to her through the bond and felt her tremble as she stopped fighting his grip. He kissed her hair and whispered soothingly to her until she stopped trembling and her body slowly fell limp again as she returned to peaceful sleep. He settled in behind her and held her close as his body slowly fell into a watchful sleep, ready to be there if she needed him again.

* * *

Raiden flew along the corridor to Sakura's room, ignoring the servants that nodded to him as he passed them. The hall ended with a set of large wooden doors that were intricately carved with dragons, vines, angels, and demons to symbolize who the room belonged to and he settled on the elaborate handles. He glanced down at the floor and took in the tray of untouched food that sat before the doors. It looked good but he couldn't see the steam coming from the food, meaning it had been there for awhile. Kisa walked up and curtsied before him. "Good morning, Raiden," she greeted politely.

"Kisa, you are Sakura's maid, correct?" he questioned as he looked up at her.

He brown hair was braided back and her hazel eyes were confused. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"When did you leave this here?" he asked, nodding down at the food.

"At dawn as usual," she replied.

"And it is nearly noon but the food is untouched," he remarked as worry began to coil in his belly.

"I can check on her if you would like," Kisa offered. Raiden nodded and leapt from the handle so that she could access it. "My lady, it is Kisa. May I come in?" she asked after knocking on the door. There was no reply. "My lady?" Kisa called as she opened the door.

Raiden tensed. Something was wrong now. He flew through the open door and took in the empty room. The sheets on the bed were rumpled, telling him that Sakura had been to bed at some point, but the room was otherwise empty. No sound came from the closet or the bathroom either. He glided around the room and paused by the balcony door. The door was partially latched but not completely closed like it should've been. He landed on the handle and pushed the door open against the snow. He glared in anger at the faint depressions in the snow where someone had walked over it and the spots where the snow had been brushed off the rail. He turned and flew back inside. "She isn't here," he told Kisa as he passed. "Order for a search of the castle and that reports need to be given directly to the dragons."

Kisa curtsied and nodded. He didn't wait to see if she followed his orders. The staff were too well trained not to and knew not to cross any dragon. He flew down the halls until he reached the dragon's lair a few moments later. As he flew in, Fudo glanced up and watched the agitated small dragon. "What is it, Raiden?" Haniyasu asked calmly.

"Sakura is gone," Raiden growled as sparks of electricity flickered over his scales.

"She is what?!" Fudo roared as he leapt up from his bed. "How did this happen?"

"Gone," Benzaiten replied as she examined her talons seemingly without a care in the world. "Or did you not catch that part?"

"Now is not the time," Haniyasu grumbled with an edge of annoyance in his voice.

Benzaiten glared at the green dragon before returning to her talons. "Where the hell has she gone?" Fudo growled as flames flickered from his nostrils.

"I don't think she was kidnapped," Raiden hissed. "The room was too clean for that."

"She couldn't have gotten far," Fujin muttered as he stretched in preparation to search for Sakura.

"How long has she been gone?" Haniyasu asked.

"Half a day or more," Raiden growled. How could this have happened, he wondered.

"That's impossible," Fudo hissed. "The way that she has been feeling, she wouldn't have the strength to get away unnoticed. Not off a balcony."

"Unless she was faking it," Benzaiten murmured offhandedly as she yawned and laid down.

"What do you mean?" Haniyasu growled in irritation. "We cannot feel her mind. How can you be so calm?"

"Because you are all thinking like men," Benzaiten grumbled. Really, she thought. It was obvious. She was surprised that it happened sooner.

"What do you mean?" Fujin hissed as he prowled closer to her.

"Don't say that Itachi helped her," Fudo growled dangerously. "Not even he could get out of that prison."

Benzaiten growled in warning at Fujin as he got too close to her. "Men," she groused. "Its obvious. You forget the bond she shares with Itachi. She did this all on her own. She probably exaggerated how weak she seemed to keep suspicion from arising while she built her strength up to get away. She most likely shifted and flew back to Itachi and we all know that she could break that crystal if she wanted too."

The four dragons glared at her as her words sank into their thick skulls. Benzaiten smiled and laid back down, content that she had finished screwing with their minds. They really were too easy to rile. "It does make sense," Fujin finally grumbled.

"We need to get to her before someone else does," Haniyasu said as he stood and stretched the irritation from his body. "Particularly with what is going on in the shinobi world."

"You mean someone like Orochimaru," Raiden mused as the lightning along his body disappeared.

Haniyasu nodded. "Then we had better get going," Fudo sighed as he shook his head. Benzaiten was right. It was an obvious reason.

"Should we bring her back here?" Raiden wondered aloud.

Benzaiten snorted. "Only if you want to chase after her again," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"And we cannot bring Itachi until they are bound completely," Haniyasu reasoned. "She will not return without him."

"Maybe not even with the world in peril," Fujin sighed.

Fudo growled and leapt into the air, heading towards the skylight in the ceiling that allowed them immediate access to the skies. "Then we better get going," he called. "The sooner we get there, the safer she will be." Grumbling followed him as the others agreed and followed him into the sky. Together they turned towards the sea and towards Konoha.

* * *

A sense of peace filled me when I woke up in Itachi's arms. I snuggled in closer to him, enjoying the warmth that his body put out. His arms tightened around me causing me to look up into his warm dark eyes. "Good morning," I murmured.

"Not a dream," he mused with a chuckle.

"Nope," I smiled. "Besides your dreams cannot measure up to the actual thing."

"No they cannot," he agreed in my ear, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

"Good," I laughed as I kissed the hollow at his throat.

He hummed and ducked down to kiss me. Warmth shot through my body at the feel of his lips on mine and my arms snaked around his shoulders. He dragged the tip of his tongue along my bottom lip, making me sigh, and took advantage of the opening to deepen the kiss. I met his desire and smiled at the moan that rumbled through his chest. He gently held my head, angling it so that he could deepen the kiss even more, and wrapped his arm around my waist to trap me to his hard body. I relished the closeness, having missed it while I was gone, and scraped the nape of his neck with my fingernails as the world fell away. I felt him shiver against me and smirked, only to gasp as he moved from my lips to my neck. I tried to pull air into my lungs but all I got was the delicious smell of Itachi; all warm smoke, leather, and his own spice. He nipped at my neck and pulled me even closer so that there was no space between us. I moaned as he slowly tilted his hips and ground gently into me. I pulled him back to my mouth and kissed him with the pent up hunger that was racing through my body, relishing the hard, possessive edge that entered his body against mine. His hand slowly began to drift downwards, gliding across my neck and collarbone before dipping to-

"Itachi!" the shout broke through the clouds of desire in my mind. "Dammit! Where is he?" the voice rang out along with the sound of running feet. A set of lungs like that could only come from Deidara, since Naruto wasn't here.

I pulled back from Itachi, my breathing harsh, and took in his dark onyx eyes as they watched me with half-lidded hunger. "So much for peace and quiet," he growled, his voice husky with desire.

I laughed breathlessly. "Just wait until the dragons track me down," I giggled.

Itachi sighed and rolled off me, releasing me from where he had pinned me beneath him without me realizing it. He stood and stretched out his leanly muscled body. I curled onto my side and watched him as the muscles in his back flexed and relaxed. He stopped when he caught me watching him, a smile playing at the edges of his lips, and stepped closer. "You look like the cat who got into the cream," he murmured in my ear, his deep husky voice amused as it sent goosebumps over my skin. He settled on the edge of the bed and brushed some hair out of my face, a pleased look in his eyes.

"Well I like what I see," I murmured as I looked up at him through my lashes. Watching him, I reached out and touched his toned abs; smiling when he sucked in a breath and the muscles twitched beneath my caress. I traced the outline of the muscles, keeping my eyes locked with his, as my light touch drifted across his chest and abdomen. His eyes heated and drifted closed when my hand drifted down along the trail of hair from his navel to below his boxers, earning a groan of longing from him. The shouting in the hall increased. "Do you think we should tell them to shut up?" I asked innocently as my hand eased along the waistband of his black boxers.

"I don't care," he growled as he leaned down to kiss me again, this time with more unrestrained passion.

Laughing, I slipped away and danced across the room. Growling, he followed me; determined to trap me in his arms and have his fill of me. Giggling, I evaded him and leapt across the room. He watched me with unrestrained hunger and a trace amount of amusement as he entered the game of chase. After a few minutes, he caught me against the wall and pressed against me. The stone was cool at my back and I arched into him, looking up at him through my lashes again. He growled and kissed me. I could feel the barely restrained tension in his body as he devoured me and I couldn't be any happier.

Sakura had teased him beyond his restraint and now he was claiming his reward. Her body was soft and yielding against his, her mouth a hot sweet heaven as her body arched into him. His cock strained against his boxers and he pushed his hips against her, not bothering to hide his reaction and relishing the pressure. She gasped and moaned, the sound sending more blood to his groin. He longed to have his way with her, to have her under him and thrusting into her warmth, but a part of his mind reminded him to be gentle. He reached down and pulled her leg up against him, wrapping it around his waist, allowing him access to rub directly against her. She shifted against him, her soft breasts nearly flat against his chest as she strained against him. He trailed kisses along her neck as he pushed her against the wall, partially holding her weight up with his hips against her. Moaning, she jumped a little and wrapped her legs around his waist, holding her own weight.

"Itachi," she breathed on a moan as she awkwardly moved her hips against his. He kissed her hungrily as his hands settled on her hips, holding her as he thrust upwards and against her, rubbing his cock against her clit. He would drive her as crazy as she had driven him and he would enjoy every minute of it.

Madness. This was madness, I thought to myself as Itachi rubbed himself against me. Jolts of searing fire spread from my belly to my thighs as my belly clenched in need. It was difficult to try and form a rational thought though the desire clouding my mind while he stroked a fire within me that I didn't know how to ease. I pulled back and gasped in a breath as a part of me warned me to slow down. "Itachi," I murmured, trying to calm down.

"Hn," he breathed as he nipped at my pulse on my neck, sending more shivers down my spine.

"Look at me," I ordered, my fingers tangling in his silky hair.

"I am," he chuckled huskily. "And I love the view." His lips brushed against my shoulder before drifting down to my exposed chest. When my nightgown had ended up around my waist, I didn't know but I couldn't help but feel alarmed.

"Itachi," I said again as I tugged at his hair. "You know the rules."

He growled and nuzzled the valley between my breasts. "You know that you want to," he breathed against my skin.

"Not right now," I told him. "Later. I promise." I tugged at his hair again and shuddered as his tongue flicked across a nipple.

I pulled harshly on his hair and he looked up. "That isn't fair," he mused.

"All is fair in love and war," I murmured with a smile.

"And why should I stop?" he asked darkly, rolling his hips against mine. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall, praying for the will to resist him. "You are enjoying it."

"Later. Please," I begged quietly.

He sighed and slowly lowered me to the floor, sliding me along his body as he did so. I glared up at him in irritation but he simply smiled and stepped back. I leaned against the wall as my knees steadied. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion flooded me and I swayed. Itachi watched me with a worried expression. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

I slowly shook my head to fight off a little dizziness and felt his arms wrap gently around me. "Sakura, tell me," he ordered.

I kept my eyes closed as I answered him. "I'm fine," I lied. Something wasn't right. I shouldn't be this tired. "I pushed too hard to get here."

I felt him gather me in his arms as he carried me to the bed. "Then get more rest," he said quietly as he laid down beside me. "You shouldn't have pushed so hard to get here, no matter how badly I wanted you here."

I sighed and let my body begin to shut down in sleep. I needed time to figure out what was going on. I switched to speaking to him though our bond. "I would've come anyway," I told him.

I felt him focus on my mind, wrapping me in his warm thoughts. "I would've helped if I could."

"You can't come to the valley until you're bound completely to me," I said slowly. "You will die otherwise."

"More motivation for me," he thought slyly. I sighed. Men. "I'm sorry," he amended. "I will behave now."

"I'm tired of being weak, Itachi," I murmured. "I'm tired of us being pulled apart. We are stronger together. But that isn't the way it's happening. Even the dragons won't help."

"I think that they are waiting."

"For what?"

"For us to become strong on our own. We have been too dependent on one another that we haven't grasped our powers alone."

"We do know our powers," I growled.

"Some of them, yes. But I am getting used to being a dragon and you are dealing with parts of your powers that I don't think you have dealt with before. We need to know them inside and out so we can use them correctly and not guess at the uses or consequences."

"It's not something you can use on a whim," I told him in reference to and angel and demon form. "You have to let them out. That takes focus and time. If you use them while you're weak..."

"What happens?" he asked quietly.

"It isn't pretty," I told him.

He sent me courage and determination through the bond. "I need to know," he told me.

Sighing, I let him see a few of my past memories. Images of a small girl, weak and hungry, nearly dead when some Suna shinobi attacked her. Her feelings of desperation and fear raging out of control, of Demon's first emergence. Demon attacking the shinobi and then nothing, a blank space in the memories. The next memory was of some Leaf shinobi slowly coming toward her, speaking softly and gently, telling her that it was okay and that she was safe. Memories of that small girl growing at the Academy and in the Haruno home; of her slowly regaining her memories from her childhood. She remembered always being drawn to the Uchiha; of seeing him and Sasuke in the Village, of following them into the woods and watching them train. The sadness she felt when everyone blamed Itachi for the fall of the Uchiha. "Even then I was bound to you," I whispered.

"I had to do what I had been ordered to do," he said sadly.

I showed him memories of when Orochimaru attacked the village and of Angel's first appearance, when she tried to rescue Sasuke and Naruto. And then how careful she had to be with her strength, how it was easier to hide as she grew older and it was expected for her to become stronger. But there were still people who wondered if her strength was normal or not. I showed him memories of that girl taking on impossible missions in ANBU and succeeding when others failed, of how careful she had to keep her secret in a world of spies and shinobi. I slowly let the memories fade while letting the memories that brought me to him played through the bond. I laid in silence once I was done, letting him take in all that I had shown him.

"I never thought that you had had to hide so much," he whispered.

"When I was younger, I used Angel and Demon on whims," I told him. "I either nearly died or others did as a result. I tempered my emotions to have more control over them but by doing that, I had gained exceptional chakra control and strength."

"I will have to guard myself then," he murmured in thought.

"No," I laughed. "Everyone takes to it differently. It won't change who you are; you will just have to learn how to control it like any other jutsu." He sighed. I smiled at the sound of continued yelling from the hall and curled into Itachi. "I missed you all while I was gone," I murmured.

"We did too," he replied as his mind quieted as he began to nap. My mind was so intertwined with his, that I began to drift off with a smile. I was home.

* * *

The dragons landed in the main cave at the base and into total chaos. The Akatsuki were running around, yelling at each other as they searched for Itachi. Only Konan remained calm amongst the chaos. "She is in on it," Fudo muttered as he glared at her.

"Who do you think sent the letter?" Raiden asked drily, having filled in the others on that important piece of information.

"What are you all doing here?" Pain asked as he approached the dragons.

"Sakura ran away," Benzaiten said with amusement as she watched Deidara chase after Tobi for some reason. "It was only a matter of time."

Fudo growled. "We thought she would head this way. Apparently, we were correct in that thinking."

Pain glanced at the dark blue dragon. "Itachi disappeared last night," he confirmed. "We cannot find him."

"So where are they?" Fujin wondered.

"I keep hitting a wall through the bond," Raiden growled in annoyance.

"She's blocking you with a wall?" Benzaiten asked with a laugh, imagining the small dragon flying straight into a solid wall.

"You know what she is blocking you with?" Haniyasu questioned.

Raiden's eyes lit up as he caught onto what Haniyasu meant. "She has to be close by," he stated flatly.

"Why are you so calm?" Fudo asked Konan, narrowing his eyes when she shrugged.

Pain turned and looked at the women he loved. He vaguely remembered her getting up in the middle of the night but hadn't thought anything of it until now. "Where are they?" he asked.

Konan glared at him. "Why would I know?" she countered.

"Because you let her in," Pain remarked flatly.

"She is in danger," Fujin murmured quietly. "Let us protect her."

Konan looked up at the dragon. He seemed sincere but she wasn't sure if it was real or if he was just fishing for information. Sighing, she realized that these dragons would never harm Sakura, annoy her maybe but not harm her. Decided, she tried to tell them that Sakura was most likely in her room but found that she couldn't utter a single word. She tried again with the same result. "The fuck?" she growled.

"Sakura used a jutsu to keep you from telling us," Haniyasu said as he lowered his head to be level with Konan. "It probably wasn't intentional. Its done out of self-preservation. I can gather the information but you must let me into your mind. Will you?"

Konan nodded and Haniyasu didn't hesitate before gently moving into her thoughts. She flinched as pain pierced her head but she focused on her memories from last night. Haniyasu watched as Sakura returned and as Konan took her to Itachi. He watched at how Konan quietly watched Sakura and Itachi as Sakura released Itachi and then as the two vanished into her room. Suddenly, something gripped him and thrust him from Konan's thoughts. He could detect faint traces of Sakura in the grip but there was something else behind it, something that wasn't right. He opened his eyes and nodded at Konan who was leaning against Pain.

"What happened?" Fudo questioned.

"Something pushed me out," Haniyasu replied. "Something is wrong. It wasn't just her."

"Was it Itachi?" Fujin asked.

Haniyasu shook his head. "No, not unless..."

"They merged on their own," Raiden finished in wonder.

"It's time, isn't it?" Fudo asked quietly.

"Time for what?" Pain asked as the other members of the organization gathered around him.

"We have to finish the bond soon," Haniyasu murmured, ignoring the humans before him.

"Let them rest," Benzaiten advised as she laid down. "They will both need their strength."

Raiden sighed and flew towards the open doors to the complex. "I'll guard the door," he called over his shoulder.

"It has finally begun," Haniyasu stated, a worried tone in his voice as he laid down.

"The question is," Fudo said as he looked after Raiden. "How it will end."

"Only time will tell," Fujin said ominously as he closed his eyes. They all missed the worried looks the Akatsuki gave one another over the dragon's cryptic conversation. With as much as they were missing, they all knew one thing: something was going to happen, something that would change everything based on the way the dragons were acting, and none of them were ready for it.

* * *

 **A/N: Well I am thinking about adding one more chapter to this story, but I want to know what you all think. Would you prefer a sequel or for me to keep adding to this story? I need you opinion for this, dear readers, so please let me know. Also, like usual, please review to let me know your thoughts. I will try and post again next week so let me know soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I felt warm when I woke up. I yawned and pulled the covers closer, still half asleep, when I realized that it wasn't the covers that I was tugging at but Itachi's unbound hair. I pulled my hand back and peaked up at him to find that he was, thankfully, still asleep. Smiling, I ran my fingers through the tips, taking comfort in the silky texture and his scent. I curled up closer to him and rested my head on his chest, the heat of our bodies under the covers lulling me back to sleep. I quietly listened to the steady beat of his heart and felt the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His arm wrapped around my waist in an unconscious movement, pulling me closer. I sighed in contentment.

"Sakura," Haniyasu called in my thoughts.

I bit back a curse. Of course, the peace wouldn't last. "How much trouble am I in?" I asked wryly.

He laughed quietly. "Not too much," he replied.

"Why not?"

"I believe that you can answer that for yourself, young one," he stated cryptically.

"I can?" I asked as I racked my brain for anything that would keep me from being in the mountain of trouble I knew I should be in.

"Maybe you can't," he chuckled quietly after I struggled for a few minutes.

"You think," I snapped. It was too bloody early for cryptic dragons and their mind games.

He hummed in amusement. "I shall let you think on it," he said as his voice faded from my thoughts.

I cursed under my breath. What the hell was he talking about, I wondered. What would make the dragons forgive me for running away? I turned the puzzle around endlessly in my head, my former contentment gone as I became frustrated over Haniyasu's puzzle. "What is it?" Itachi asked quietly as he shifted to look down at me.

"Nothing," I grumbled.

"I doubt that with how loud your thoughts are," he remarked dryly.

Sighing, I shared the conversation with him. "Only Haniyasu could confuse me so-"

"Quickly," he finished sharing my thought.

I nodded and yawned, stretching against him to loosen my muscles.

"Hmm," he said softly as he kissed my head. "Maybe we should get up."

"Maybe we shouldn't," I countered. "I am perfectly happy here." I pulled the actual covers up, curling them around us.

"I know you are, but we do eventually need to get up."

"Fine," I growled as I threw the covers back and sat up, shivering as the cool air in the room caressed my skin. Smirking, Itachi sat up and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against the warmth of his body to ward off the chill. I sighed and listened to the calm silence of the morning in the compound. "Peace at last," I sighed.

"Its too quiet," he remarked darkly. "It won't last."

"True," I said as I got up and walked to my dresser, pausing as I opened it. My clothes had been moved to make room for his clothes, the dark colors of his clothes contrasting against a few of my more brightly colored ones. I glanced over my shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow in question. He shrugged and walked over to join me.

"It seemed logical," he murmured easily as he reached around me to grab a clean shirt. "And no, I don't need to take a shower." He pulled on the shirt with a smirk.

I glared at him as I gathered my clean clothes and turned to walk out of the room, mentally calling that I would take a shower. I heard him laugh and the sound of him laying back down on the bed. Entering the bathroom, I locked the door and glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a mess, filled with knots, and I had deep dark circles under my eyes. Sighing, I set to work getting the tangles out of my hair and brushing it until the brush glided smoothly through it. Turning on the hot water, I stripped and stepped into the massaging spray, sighing as I soaked in the heat. Reaching for my favorite shampoo, I took my time as I washed my hair and finished my shower, filling the room with steam. Once I was out and dried off, I put on a little lotion to pamper my skin and began to dress. I threw my dirty clothes in the hamper and brushed my teeth before walking out of the bathroom.

Itachi was sitting in the chair next to my desk, reading a scroll that had been on my bookshelf. "Do you think that you could take any longer?" he asked with a smirk.

I knocked the scroll out of his hands and curled up in his lap. "Probably," I answered mischievously.

He laughed and breathed in deeply. "You put that lotion on," he commented as he ran his fingers lightly down my arm.

"Your point?" I asked as I sank into his chest.

"Just a fact," he murmured as he kissed my forehead. "I like it."

"I know," I laughed when he nuzzled my neck, drawing in the fragrance of my skin.

I leaned my head back against his arm, content to let him have his way; when my stomach growled and hunger gnawed at me now that I wasn't stressed. "How long has it been since you've eaten a full meal?" he asked, pulling back at the sound.

"Not that long," I said casually.

"You're lying," he murmured in my ear. "When was the last time?"

"Before everything happened?" I whispered faintly.

He growled and stood, setting me on my feet. "Come on," he said as he pulled me behind him. "You will eat."

"There isn't a point in arguing with you is there?" I asked as I looked around the empty dining room and kitchen. "What time is it anyway?"

"Just before dawn," he replied as he picked me up and set me on the counter. "Now what do you want to eat?"

"I refuse to answer that," I smirked in play.

His eyes narrowed before he turned and opened the fridge. He pulled out fish, grapes, vegetables, and juices. Laying it all out on the counter, he pulled out the rice from the pantry and began cooking his meal. I watched as he diced vegetables before dumping them in a skillet with a little oil and citrus juice. The smell of cooking food made my stomach growl loudly and I realized exactly how hungry I was. Without a word, he pulled a basket of strawberries from the fridge, washed and cut them in half, and handed a plate to me with a small bowl of sugar. He plucked a strawberry from the plate and dipped it in sugar before holding it out for me. I eyed him warily and ate it, nipping his finger as I took the treat, relishing the flavor of the bitter fruit and sweet sugar as I burst in my mouth. I opened my eyes, not realizing that I had closed them, and saw him glancing between the strawberries and me with a curious expression in his eyes. "Don't get any ideas," I remarked to the calculating gleam in his eyes that sent warmth throughout my body.

"Too late," he whispered, his voice deeper than normal as he took a strawberry for himself.

"Your vegetables are beginning to burn," I snapped back as I reached for another strawberry.

Spinning, he turned off the heat and placed a cover over the food to steam it. He glared at me over his shoulder. "Its not my fault if it is burnt," he said washing the fish, putting it on a pan, and placing it in the oven.

"Why not?" I asked as I watched his easy grace as he moved around the kitchen.

"Because you are the one that distracted me," he grumbled as he settled the grapes next to the strawberries.

"You should have been more focused," I teased.

I felt his ire rolling him off him in waves as he stirred the rice. "I was but you would distract even the most devoted of saints."

"And you're not a saint?" I asked innocently as I tilted my head to the side.

"Not even close," he chuckled darkly as he glanced at me with a heated look.

I hopped off the counter and looked in the fridge in search for something to drink. "Do you think we should make food for the others?" I asked as I pulled the orange juice out of the fridge.

"I already was," he said sagely, pulling the fish from the oven and then setting glasses on the counter for the others.

I glanced at the amount of food and wondered how I could have missed that he was making so much food. Shaking my head, I took the orange juice out to the dining room and then began to set the table. When I returned to the kitchen, Itachi was rolling the fish into the rice to make rice balls. "I'll help," I offered as I stepped up beside him. "They do deserve a break from the hell that we've put them through."

"They are not angry with us," he said simply.

The rice was warm and sticky as I grabbed a handful and a piece of fish. I place the fish in the middle and gently began to pack the rice around it. The smell of wonderfully made food made my stomach growl loudly, demanding food. I popped a clump of rice into my mouth, savoring the taste of the rice. I ate as I made rice balls, slowly easing my hunger. "You keep doing that and there will not be any left for the rest of us," Itachi chastened as he caught my hand, keeping me from having the clump of rice in my fingers.

I glared at him and he laughed, the sound wrapping around me as a mischievous look entered his eyes. He stared into my eyes and leaned forward as he held up my hand. His warm breath flowed over my fingertips, making them tingle as he closed his lips over my fingers to eat the rice. Once he licked the rice from my fingers, he slowly nipped the pads of my fingers. My eyes drifted close in bliss and my breath hissed out when he slowly eased away. I opened my eyes and met his hungry gaze. He leaned away from where he had me pinned against the counter and turned back to the food, running his fingers across my stomach as he turned. I glared at him, stuck between the need to jump him and kill him.

"What smells so good?" Tobi asked as he walked into the dining room.

"No idea," Deidara said. "But I'm starving, un."

"Ditto," Kisame agreed. They all walked into the kitchen and froze as they read the hostility and tension in the air, glancing between the two of us. "Sakura," Kisame said joyfully after a moment, striding across the room to pick me up in a hug that was almost Naurto-like. "Man am I glad to see you."

I laughed and hugged him back. "Good to see you too," I giggled as he set me back on the floor.

"You are looking better, un," Deidara greeted as he hugged me before turning to Itachi. "And you look sane."

Itachi nodded as he pulled me against him. I spun away with him, still irritated with him, and picked up the plate of rice balls to take them into the dining room.

Kisame whistled. "Damn, what did you do?" Kisame asked as he caught the brief flash of bewilderment cross Itachi's face.

"What happened before we got here?" Deidara asked, stifling laughter.

I could almost hear Itachi's glare before feeling his gaze settle on me. I listened to the other members join in on mocking Itachi, all the while his gaze didn't leave me while I set the food on the table. I turned and watched them act like the Rookie nine when we were younger, picking on one another, before deciding to take mercy on Itachi. "Enough," I called. "Only I get to pick on him. That's my job."

Pain nodded. "It is good to have you back," he said as he grasped my shoulder. "Both of you," he whispered as he passed.

Smiling, I settled in a chair at the table as the others helped Itachi bring in the rest of the food. We all sat down and ate together, laughing and joking. They all seemed to be glad that I was back and most graciously forgave me for scaring them with my near death experience. It was almost as it was. But now there was a tension in the air. I caught more than a few fake smiles and laughs amongst the members. Something had changed between them, not just the way they acted with Itachi. They all seemed wary of Itachi, an undercurrent of cautiousness as they watched him. I was about to comment on it when I notice that Itachi was picking up on my anxiety. I calmed and then so did Itachi. I felt happy and noticed that a sparkle entered his eyes as well. He was feeling what I was.

"Haniyasu," I called in my thoughts. "What is going on?"

"Raiden hasn't spoken with you yet?" he asked.

"I haven't seen him," I replied calmly.

"You are merging with him," he explained slowly. "It is usually gradual but, after everything that has happened, I suppose that the process has sped up."

"What process?" I demanded in irritation.

"First, you bond with each others' thoughts. You can communicate and feel as the other does. The next thing that happens is that you know one another' thoughts as if they were your own and then you feel and act in the same way. You will feel it because you are already Angel and Demon."

"We are supposed to feel the same?" I questioned as I watched Itachi out of the corner of my eye.

"You already do?" he asked, a touched of surprise in his tone.

"Apparently," I sighed.

"It has never happened before in this lifetime. But then we have never had a Jinchuuriki strong enough to finalize the process."

"So what happens next?" I asked warily.

"Whatever it was that Izanagi told you," he replied.

I froze, not bothering to hide it. I could barely believe it; there was no way that it should happen this quickly. It wasn't possible for a bond to form so completely in under a year. True, Itachi and I were unlike any other pair before us but that didn't change the fact. I noticed that others had begun watching me and Itachi's expression was guarded. "What is it?" Pain asked quietly.

"Sakura," Itachi called across the bond. "Talk to me."

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said with a smile aloud. "Just a passing thought." They all nodded and and returned to their meals and conversations while Itachi watched me though narrowed eyes.

"You're lying," he said in exasperation in my thoughts. "Tell me what it really is."

"Later," I replied. "Now is not the time."

He didn't like that answer and I heard him growl. "Fine," he sighed.

The rest of the meal was relatively normal, if you thought murderous threats and shouted arguments was normal. In an attempt to prevent Deidara from brutally murdering Tobi, I distracted him with a conversation. "How has training been going?" I asked casually.

Deidara glanced at me in surprise. "It's amazing, un," he stated with a grin. "I crated a new explosive. Why? Are you training again?"

I smirked and took a sip of my juice. "I haven't decided," I said with a sigh. "Do you think you could take me?"

He laughed maniacally. "Of course," he replied with evil glee. "If anyone is going to beat you, it would be now."

I laughed mischievously. "Oh really?"

His blue eyes narrowed. "You don't think I can take you?" he growled, offended.

I shrugged. Cursing, he stood and walked out of the room. Laughing, I followed him to the training hall and barely stepped into the room before I was met with explosives. About an hour and a full ass kicking later, Deidara had his answer. "Dammit," he groaned from his spot on the ground. "I really thought that I had a chance."

I smirked as he glared at me. "What's wrong Deidara?" Kisame teased. "Getting your ass handed to you by a girl? You must be slipping."

"I'd like to see you try," Deidara hissed as he slowly stood.

Kisame grinned. "I know better than to challenge her," he laughed. "Even when she would be considered weak."

"Someone has to be able to beat her," Deidara grumbled as he began to pout. I rolled my eyes.

"That would be Itachi-san," Tobi clapped happily.

Itachi simply watched me though I could see the curious and eager glint in his eyes. He could deny it all he wanted, but the thought of someone matching him was a serious turn on for him. "Would you care to spar?" he asked as his eyes slowly bled red.

"Why not?" I shrugged, watching him as he glided smoothly over to where I was in the middle of the room.

"Ten bucks that they end up all over each other," Deidara called.

"You're on," Kisame laughed as they shook on it.

"Rules?" Itachi asked.

"No weapons or chakra," I replied with a sweet smile that Naruto had quickly learned to fear. "Only taijutsu."

He smirked. "And who is going to call this? Raiden?" he asked darkly.

I shrugged. "I haven't seen him. We can call it ourselves."

Itachi laughed darkly, the sound sending warm shivers down my spine. "Fatal only?"

I smiled. Fatal only meant that when one of us hit the other in a spot of the body that would have proven fatal with chakra or a weapon, the spar was over and one of us was 'dead'. It was the way we spent most of our spars. "Fatal only," I agreed as I let my body loosen.

We watched each other, waiting for the others' concentration to break and an opening to form. Neither of us looked each other in the eye, know that we were both sneaky enough to cast a genjutsu before the other caught on. I saw Deidara move out of the corner of my eye and caught the slight turn of Itachi's head as he glanced in Deidara's direction. I leapt forward as was in front of Itachi by the time his eyes focused back on me. My hand shot forward, aimed for his heart, only to be blocked by a downward sweep of his. He reached for my throat but I effortlessly moved under his arms and away from his reach. He smirked and followed me. Our spar was like an intricate and deadly dance. He used his greater strength and size while I used my flexibility and sharp reflexes and we were fairly matched in speed. When he moved, I moved; always a tenth of a second before he did. We had an underlying understanding of each other that made our attacks more subtle and graceful to watch and had to create creative ways to get around one another. Even as we watched how much power we had in our attacks, anyone of them could have killed if they landed or were not met with an equally powerful defense. If one of us slipped, then someone would be injured.

I had no idea how long we fought, dancing around each other, too absorbed in the glorious tension between us; before the others began laughing. Itachi and I flew apart and paused, both of us breathing heavily as we watched each other, our eyes locked. I shivered at the hungry naked desire in his eyes as he stared at me. I kept my body ready as I quickly glanced at the others. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Kisame laughed.

"We just know the outcome," Konan smiled.

"Care to share that information?" Itachi asked as he dropped his stance and closed his eyes to take a deep breath.

"She's going to win," Deidara grumbled as he pointed at me with a grimace.

"How so?" Itachi asked. I dropped my guard and stood, shaking my head. Itachi was too sexy for his own good or my sanity.

"You both are tiring," Pain said evenly. "But she has you beat by maybe ten minutes, if you were to continue."

Itachi sighed in annoyance and I smiled. "It will get easier," I told him through the bond. "Once you have your other forms."

He looked up at me, his dark eyes meeting mine, sparkling with mischief. "They are doing that fucking weird communication thing again," Hidan growled.

"But they are not all over each other," Kisame laughed as he held his hand out to Deidara. "Pay up."

Deidara growled but handed over the money without arguing, though he did grumble under his breath.

Suddenly, Kakashi and Naruto burst into the hall and their emotions hit me like a tsunami. Rage, sadness, confusion; it all bombarded me. Damn, I thought. My barriers shouldn't be that weak. Something was wrong with me. I put more effort into guarding my mind and the emotions faded away.

"What happened?" Pain snapped.

"We need to talk," Kakashi said with an edge to his voice that I had not heard in a long time. "Now."

"Go ahead," Itachi said as he moved to stand beside me.

Kakashi glared at us. "There are traitors everywhere," he said quietly.

"What the hell does that mean, un?" Deidara asked.

I tilted my head to the side and Kakashi gave me a subtle nod. I glanced at Naruto. His blue eyes were guarded and his posture tense. I could just sense the Kyuubi's chakra boiling beneath his skin. Closing my eyes, I extended my senses and finally felt what it was they were trying to convey. My eyes snapped open and three crystal kunai flew from my fingers in the same instance. They all hit their marks. In a puff of smoke, Tobi, Kisame, and Zetsu disappeared and the kunai fell to the floor and shattered. "Damn it," I growled.

"What the hell?" Hidan yelled as the Kisame beside him disappeared.

"They were clones," I said mildly. "If they hadn't disappeared so quickly, I could've tracked them to their original bodies." I looked at Kakashi. "That was all of them."

"Uchiha Madara and Sasuke attacked the Kage Counsel and ignited the Fourth Great War," Kakashi said gravely.

"Where is Tsunade?" I asked worriedly.

"In a coma," Naruto replied. "She has been since we returned from healing you."

"What was his reasoning?" Itachi asked Kakashi, his tone cold and detached.

"They would not become his allies. Madara is collecting the tailed beasts to revive something he called the Ten Tails and cast a jutsu over the world," Kakashi relayed.

I froze. The Ten Tails. That couldn't happen. Dread filled me. "What is wrong with Sakura?" Konan asked at the same moment all the dragons barged into the training hall with their elements flowing over their bodies.

"What is his plan exactly?" I asked Kakashi slowly.

"Madara or Tobi as we know him," he began. "Is going to sacrifice the tailed beasts to revive the Ten Tails."

The dragons growled in combined anger, their elements lashing out and clashing together thunderously. "Why are they angry?" Deidara asked over the noise.

"Sakura is the key to reviving the Ten Tails," Fudo roared. "For it to be revived, she must die."

"Why?" Pain asked.

"Because of who she is," Haniyasu growled. "Because of what she is."

"This completely ruins it," Benzaiten hissed. "This should be a time for celebration."

"Is there any way to prevent it?" Konan asked as she stood beside Pain.

"Why should we be celebrating?" Itachi asked at the same time.

"There is no way to prevent it if this Madara is determined," Raiden growled.

"Why should we be celebrating?" Itachi repeated.

The dragons slowly began to calm though their tails twitched with suppressed anger. "I hate this," Benzaiten grumbled as she laid down next to me.

Haniyasu looked at me. "You haven't explained it to him yet?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Haven't had the time to wrap my head around it myself," I told him as Itachi looked at me with suspicion.

Sighing, Haniyasu looked at Itachi. "You are both ready to finish the bond," he said gently.

Itachi froze and I felt his surprise through the bond, as if I was surprised myself. A glance at the others proved that they were very confused. "Is it true?" Itachi asked in my head, his voice carefully neutral though there was a surge of enthusiasm that he struggled to hide.

"I suppose so," I told him, a little breathless at his eagerness.

"What the fucking hell are you talking about?" Hidan demanded to know, irritation coloring his tone.

I shook my head to clear it and glanced at him. "I wouldn't worry about it," I told him.

"You will have to tell them," Raiden said as he settled on my shoulder. "They will need to know for the battle to come."

"What will we need to know?" Pain asked, an edge of steal in his voice.

I took a deep breath and wondered where to begin when I felt Itachi take my hand and give it a gently squeeze. Shaking my head, I started at the beginning and told them everything. I started with the Dragon's Jinchuuriki and how I was really no different than the other Jinchuuriki that had been hunted. Then I told them about my other forms, not a surprise to them as they had seen two of the three, and that Itachi was my other half. I sighed and leaned against Itachi when I was finished, letting them digest what I had told them. "So the Dragon's Jinchuuriki was created before the tailed beasts?" Pain asked.

"Essentially," Fudo sighed.

"How did that happen?" Konan asked with a tilt of her head.

"When the Sage of Six Paths divided the Ten Tails, he called on the dragons," Fujin started. "He worried that someone may try to revive the Ten Tails and trusted the dragons to not let that happen. So he gave away some of the power of the tailed beasts to create a safeguard against that."

"Almost half of the tailed beasts power lays inside Sakura," Haniyasu explained. "If you were to divide it out based on the number of tails then Sakura would posses a little more than half that power. One tail from Matatabi. Two tails from Isobu and Son Goku. Three from Kokuo and Saiken. Four tails from Chomei and Gyuki. And then five tails from Kurama."

"Once that power was given to the dragons, the Sage created the tailed beasts and scattered them to the world," Fudo finished.

"We couldn't contain the power in it's raw form so we chose a human and made them a Jinchuuriki," Raiden picked up. "We gave them other forms to try and counteract the power, since it could deteriorate the vessel, but like everything, there was a price. Our Jinchuuriki was not so easily tracked once the previous one died."

"How were they chosen?" Pain asked.

"Our Jinchuuriki," Benzaiten began. "Is not chosen based on family or the most convenient vessel available. They are chosen by what dwells in their hearts. Up until now, all have been shinobi. Sakura is the first Kunoichi."

"Why is that?" Konan wondered aloud.

"Most shinobi are male to begin with and we needed a warrior," Fudo explained. "Our Jinchuuriki needs to be resilient to combat and the horrors of reality and war. Shinobi are also typically stronger physically."

"But Sakura is the exception," Haniyasu said as he looked at me with piercing emerald eyes. "Stronger, fiercer, more resilient, more stubborn; she is different from event the greatest of Shinobi in the past."

"So to revive the Ten Tails," Pain said slowly. "She has to be killed like the others were."

Raiden nodded. "It will not be easily accomplished," he growled.

"I will not lose a sister," Konan hissed quietly.

"Then she will be protected," Pain said simply, pulling the blue haired woman to his side.

Itachi nodded in agreement. "If we finish the bond, Sakura," he said evenly. "It will protect you as well."

I stiffened and pulled away from him. "Think about that statement for a moment," I warned him with a glare.

He met my stare without flinching. "It will," he insisted. "I will not lose you again."

"So we finish the bond just to protect me?" I growled as I felt Demon stir within her bonds.

He nodded and then stilled for a moment, taking a read on my emotions. For someone so smart, he really was oblivious at times. "Sakura," he breathed as he finally realized how his words came across. "That isn't-"

"Forget it," I growled as I turned away from him. "Let me know when you make your mind up on what you want." Holding my anger back, I walked out of the hall, ignoring him as he called my name through the bond. I slammed the door to my rooms shut and settled a layer of crystal over it to be safe. I wanted to be alone and Raiden knew that, which is why he leapt from my shoulder the second I walked into my rooms. It wasn't long before Itachi was at my door, trying to get me to talk to him. I ignored him.

I sat curled up with my back to the wall on my bed. The others came and went, each of them trying to pull me out of my room, but I refused. I needed to get a better grip on Demon, who was all too eager to use my anger and hurt as leverage. Something wasn't right. She shouldn't have been able to do this. Unable to sit still, I began to pace as I fought her back; hoping to exhaust myself. I tried to distract myself by appealing to the good things but those thoughts turned to Itachi and his most recent actions. Finally, I snapped. I needed to get outside.

I quietly left my room, listening carefully. Thankfully, everyone was asleep since it was the middle of the night and I ghosted down the halls. I restlessly made my way outside and breathed in the night air. I felt my mind settle and Demon sink back into her chains even as I felt the pending danger of what was to come. I looked up at the waning crescent moon, the sparkling stars suspended in the velvet sky, and felt a moment of peace. Suddenly, I heard a snap as if someone had stepped on a twig. I spun, my eyes searching for trouble as I automatically pulled a kunai from my holster. I spotted the dark shadow of someone just behind a tree, shrouded in darkness. "Who are you?" I demanded to know.

The person just watched me but I felt like there was something familiar about them and that made me uneasy. Finally, they moved forward and the dim moonlight slowly revealed them. I bit back a curse as they blinked and I was suddenly staring into blood red eyes just as he fully emerged from the shadows. "It has been awhile," he said, his voice sending shivers down my spine. "Sakura."

"Sasuke," I growled just as I was struck in the neck from behind. I felt my body collapse even as I fought the darkness but I couldn't resist what was already happening to my body. The last thing I saw before my vision faded was Sasuke standing over me, a smile curling his lips.

* * *

The compound was quiet and that unsettled Itachi. He wandered through the halls, not really going anywhere but needing to move. He felt Sakura's anger and agitation and he couldn't blame her. Even he knew that what he had said was stupid. What woman wouldn't have gotten angry? Even Konan glared at him and was currently ignoring him. His mind spun with ways that he could explain to Sakura how he could be so stupid. His earlier words came from a part of him that was desperate to protect and save her, rather than live with standing passively by while she was destroyed. He hadn't realized how it would come across until he felt what she did, until he finally began to see into her thoughts.

He stopped in the main cave and closed his eyes. He listened to the stillness of the night, the calm before the storm. It was a feeling that he was intimately familiar with, though it always unsettled him. While he stood there, a part of him was already taking stock of the environment around him; taking in the other members' breathing as they slept, the quiet noises of the outside world as the nocturnal world carried on. He sensed the danger in the air as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Something wasn't right. He reached for Sakura thought the bond when it suddenly lit up before falling silent. He reached again but something, someone, was blocking him.

Opening his eyes, he followed the trail of her thoughts outside and into a clearing. Looking around, he didn't see anything out of place until a stray glimmer of moonlight glinted off a kunai. It was laying in the middle of the clearing and he recognized the familiar symbol scratched into the base of the blade. Sakura. He activated his sharingan but all traces of her had vanished though there were two other chakras in the area. Two that he was very familiar with. His eyes narrowed as he picked up the kunai. When he found them, he would make them pay dearly for taking her.

* * *

My entire body ached like it had when I first shifted into my dragon form. I hadn't been able to move for days after that. My limbs felt like they had been replaced with lead and I felt something cool beneath me. I reached out with my chakra and hissed as pain seared through my body. The sound echoed in the space that I was in and my body resisted any effort to move. Growling, I settled in and listened.

The space seemed open but my breathing echoes back evenly. I was in some sort of cell then, only smooth surfaces reflected sound back that smoothly. The silence seemed cruel, menacing. It was like how the silence at a graveyard was eternally sad and made visitors whisper even though no one was around. This silence held a taint of evil that, had I not been use to being in Shinigami's presence, I would've cowered in fear. It was the kind of evil that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and your skin form goosebumps.

I laid there and listened for hours as time seemed to slow while it stretched out endlessly. The temperature in the cell dropped and my body began to shiver in an effort to keep me warm. Something rattled and vibrated against my skin. It was cool and the sound that echoed in the room sounded like metal. I pulled into myself out of preservation as I felt something slither through my veins. Someone had poisoned me. I pulled further into myself and settled in to wait. Sasuke would over play his hand at some point. I just needed to last until then.

* * *

Someone was healing my body, the foreign chakra pulling me from my mind. I listened to the sound of their voices.

"You said it would only knock her out, not almost kill her," a voice growled. It was familiar, that deep tone. Sasuke.

Another voice laughed. "That is all that I thought it would do," they said. "I didn't stick around the last time I used it. She's so strong I would've never guessed it would work like this."

"I should kill you now," Sasuke hissed, the sound bouncing off the walls.

"Too bad you need me," the other voice laughed. I finally recognized the evil chuckle. Orochimaru.

"Get out," Sasuke growled. "Both of you."

"She will be okay for now but I will need to return later if she is to survive," a new voice said softly. This person was female and young based off the sound of her voice. She wasn't anyone I knew.

I felt the foreign chakra slowly seep from my body followed by the sound of footsteps walking away. The sound of the silence changed. It was knowing now, wondering and expectant. "I know that you are awake," Sasuke called. "Open your eyes."

I forced my eyes to open, if only to glare at him. My vision was blurry before it focused on his face. Half of it was hidden in shadows as he stood next to me, though his eyes gleamed in the dark. "Where the hell am I?" I asked as I tried to sit up.

He pushed me down before I could get far. "Someplace safe," he said evenly. "Don't try and escape. You will not survive without us."

"What the fuck have you done?" I growled as I glared at him.

"I stole you back," he said gently as he cupped my cheek with his hand, his thumb running along my cheekbone. "Now, you are mine. We will heal you, of course, but I will use the poison if you try to run."

"Why?" I questioned.

He smiled a little. "Because I love you. And you love me in return. We were engaged until they stopped us... Until _he_ interfered."

I shook my head. "No one stepped in," I told him coolly. "I ended it of my own will and, if you really care, you will let me go."

He shook his head in denial. "No they forced you. Don't you remember? When we were together, what we did."

"That was genjutsu," I hissed harshly.

"I didn't cast it."

"I did. I was on a mission. I never did anything with you. I love Itachi!"

"NO!" he yelled, drawing back a step. "That isn't true. He is tricking you like he did me. I will never let you go, least of all to him. You are mine."

"No I am not," I ground out as I struggled to get up and beat it thorough his thick head. "Let me go."

"No," he growled as he turned and I felt something tighten around my body, making me gasp as my lungs were constricted. I glanced down and cursed. Chains were locked around my wrists and ankles but that wasn't the issue. A huge snake was wrapped around me. It was the same snake that had bitten me while I fought Orochimaru and it tightened it's body to pull me down onto the stone table. Sasuke finally turned and walked over to pet it like it was a kitten. The snake hissed and swayed as if Sasuke's touch put it in a trance. "Nothing is stronger than this snake," he said as he looked at me as the snake pulled me flat against the table. "Nor is anything more poisonous. I have fallen for you and now, you will fall for me."

"Burn in hell," I hissed as I glared at him with hatred. "Burn in the deepest pit of hell. I will get free and return to the one I love."

Sasuke shrugged. "Then I will kill everyone that you love, so that you have no one to love but me." he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "And I will bring my dear brother here and kill him in front of you. I will slowly torture him until he begs for death so that he may be away from you. And then I will be merciful and kill him."

I felt silent tears fall from my eyes as I briefly relived that horrible dream of Itachi dying. At least that had been quick compared to what Sasuke was saying now. I bit back my scream of denial.

"The thought terrifies you," he said evenly, his tone detached and cool. "You cannot bare the thought of anything happening to him, can you?"

I felt the tears fall down my cheeks and I hated the weakness. I clenched my jaw and forced myself to be strong but I could not stop the tears. "You will never catch him," I ground out.

He pulled back so that he could see my face. "Oh I think I will," he smiled. "I would find it hard to believe that he wasn't already looking for you. It has already been two days. Though if he hasn't already begun, then my little letter will get him started." He held up a sheet of paper, keeping it turned away from me so that I couldn't read it. "But it is missing something. Anyone can send a letter and be bluffing." Sasuke looked down at me and smiled. "But only I could send one with proof."

He pulled out a kunai and I tried to move away. "What are you doing?" I growled.

He sat down on the edge of the table beside me and gently rested the blade against my neck. "Getting my proof," he said simply. I pulled back a little but he laid the letter down and held my jaw so that I couldn't move. "You can make this easy or hard," he whispered in my ear.

"How about not at all," I countered.

His jaw clenched in anger and he cut my skin, not deep enough to kill but enough to get his point across. I stung and I hissed when he dragged the edge of the letter in the cut to soak it in my blood, purposely cutting me deeper. "Now if he doesn't come," he said as he stood. "I will personally hunt him down."

"I will stop you before that happens," I warned him. "You will not get to him."

He looked back at me over his shoulder as he paused by the door. "You are in no position to stop me," he said with amusement. "I have made sure that you cannot perform any jutsu or contact those dragons."

I froze. "How do you know about them?"

"Orochimaru has been watching you from the beginning."

"You have no idea of what I am capable of," I said as I felt my strength begin to fade. I need to focus on the poison but I also need for him to tell me what he was planning.

He shrugged. "I have a poison that puts you on death's door. I think I could stop you. And do not worry; it will not be long before I kill Itachi and set you free." Turning he walked out of the room and locked the door.

I laid my head down and closed my eyes. My tears were drying on my cheeks as I reached for the bond between me and Itachi, only to find it missing. I couldn't feel him at all. I turned and reached for the elements, hoping one of the dragons was listening. I felt a faint stirring in the earth and threw all of my energy at it.

"Sakura," Haniyasu called faintly, so faintly that I almost couldn't hear him.

"Haniyasu," I called as I tried to turn some of my chakra to fight the poison still coursing through my body.

"Where are you?" he asked, a little louder now as if he was moving closer.

"I don't know," I told him. "Sasuke and Orochimaru have me. They poisoned me like before."

"We are coming to get you," he growled after a moment, anger echoing in his voice.

"No," I ordered. "Don't. I need you to protect Itachi."

"Why?" he demanded in response. "You are more important."

"Because Sasuke is going to kill him," I hissed as I felt my grip on the connection slip. "Keep him safe. I can get out of this."

I felt him hesitate before he sighed. "Fine. We will guard him. Heal. Return as soon as you can."

I couldn't reply as I lost my grip on the connection between us. I settled back into myself and turned my full attention to the poison in my veins. I could feel remnants of Tsunade's antidote in my tissues and I settled a small amount of chakra to try and replicate it. Once that was started, I let my mind sink back into the darkness. The best way to slow the poison was to let my body hover on death's door. I wanted to smile as I felt a familiar darkness brush against my mind before my bond with Itachi opened just a little. Just enough for me to hear Itachi speaking to me. "Hold on," he said. "I love you, Sakura. Just hold on."

I held those words to me as I let myself float in the darkness. Shinigami watched over me as I hovered outside his realm. Always there, always waiting. I would return to Itachi and I would stop Sasuke and Madara. I would protect my loved ones. Just like I always have.

* * *

 **A/N: And there is another chapter for you, my dear readers. Unfortunately, the school year is about to begin. I will update as often as I can.**

 **Also, I have been posting an original story on . My Author name is the same as this one, ArianAngel95, and the story's title is _As the Sun Sets_. I would love for you all to read it and let me know what you think. It would really mean a lot to me since I believe that many of you like this fanfiction. **

**As always, please leave me a review of your thoughts. I am almost at the end of what I have pre-written from a few years ago and would like to know what you all would like to see in this story. Let me know what you all think.**

 **-ArianAngel**


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